The Last Man In My Life
by Lexy The Thief
Summary: She looked up at the bunch of men and spoke, 'Let's make a deal. I will join Akatsuki. In reward, you will attack neither Konoha nor Naruto, the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki.' [ItaSaku]
1. Prologue: Blood

Yups! I do it due to my promise in 'Welcome Home'. This is ItaSaku story... Angst, again. Hope you like it!

Standard Disclaimer Apply

**XXXXXXXXXX **

**The Last Man in My Life **

**Prologue: Blood **

She ran, and ran. Fear was incredibly visible in her now pale face. She let the wind play with her pink hair. A scream, a very familiar scream from her dearest friend, erupted once more from her destination. She sped up her steps; ignoring the bleeding wound that sliced the delicate skin on her shoulder. The fear swelled, becoming even greater in her chest. Making her blood race wildly in her veins. She had to find them.

_Please… Please… Don't let anything bad happen to them… please… _

She had defeated her opponent. As soon as she chopped through the stout neck of the enemy, disassembling his head from his body, she dashed to where Naruto and Kakashi fought.

_Damn, they're two on one, for god's sake… They should be okay. _

But she knew. She knew that they were fighting an Uchiha, which only made the matters worse. The strongest one of the bloodline. Uchiha Itachi. The one who had slaughtered his own strong clan.

_"Trust me, sensei, Naruto. I will be okay. You two just need to fight that man together. I can handle his friend alone just fine. You all know I can do it." _

They had trusted her. But… could she trust them? Sure, she believed in her team-mate. It's the opponent was the one who crushed her trust.

She jumped. Finally she reached them. Her eyes widened.

Blood. Blood splattered on the ground, painting the trees, grass, and flowers with crimson red colour. The very same pigment had also washed those three men—one standing straight, while the other two, the ones she cared about, collapsed against the trees—with its dreadfulness.

Blood. Blood. So much blood, it was everywhere.

The mere sight alone lured a loud shriek from her lungs. She couldn't even recognize her own voice. Their opponent lifted his head, and slowly moved towards her.

Kakashi and Naruto were both unconscious… or worse, dead. She threw herself between the Uchiha and her team mates. Quickly, she examined Naruto and Kakashi. She pressed her fingers to Kakashi's neck, then Naruto's.

She knew that she shouldn't worry about Naruto's life just yet, since the Akatsuki wanted the monster in him, they wouldn't kill him yet.

They were still alive. Their condition was far from good. But they were still alive.

But she knew better, just from looking at their condition. She could heal the wounds on his skin, she could heal the internal wounds in his stomach and lungs, but she couldn't heal Naruto's eyes.

Naruto was blind. Naruto—the cheerful blond, who always slurped his ramen messily, who always made her irritated because of his idiotic performance—had lost his sight. The mere thought already sent her to the verge of tears.

And Kakashi was no better. When she pumped her chakra to his body on purpose to avoid the worst, the chakra didn't reach his legs. Kakashi could hardly walk from now on. She knew that. Sakura whipped her head to the Uchiha.

"Leave us alone. Don't fight again. You don't want to waste your time with a useless fight, do you?" she demanded, her voice was raw, the pain could be heard in between her words. His sharp sharingan eyes caught that her emerald green eyes were glimmering with tears of anger and sadness.

"Well, kunoichi. I can't go back to Akatsuki with nothing." He explained coldly to her.

Her eyes narrowed angrily. But then she replied with equal iciness. "You're right. You won't." She tossed something to the Akatsuki mukenin.

Reflectively, the Uchiha caught the thing. His eyes widened at the sight.

Kisame's head. She threw Kisame's head. She had killed Kisame, the shark man, his friend—no, company. Haruno Sakura, the mere medical nin, had killed one of the strongest Akatsuki.

When he lifted his head again, the team had already vanished. Sakura had taken them away from him.

He gave an inaudible sigh at the sight, and walked towards the Akatsuki lair, reporting the unpleasant result.

But he just couldn't shove from his mind that look, those eyes, that ferocity. The sight of the angry, beautiful, emerald green eyes… framed with soft silky pink hair that blew around her like it was part of the wind. Or those delicate hands clenching tighter and tighter at her sides, scarlet dripping down those slender fingers. He couldn't shove the picture of her standing in front of her team-mates, her soul clearly wishing to break lose and kill him, but her voice remaining as cold as the winter rain. He simply couldn't forget Sakura Haruno.

**XXXXXXXXXX **

Short, I know. But this is just a prolouge. Most prolouge usually even just one or two paragraph. Well, how do you think? Must I post the next chappie or not? The real story began in the next chapter.

Thanks,  
£exy The Thief


	2. Betrayal

* * *

YAY! An update! Finally! Well, enjoy!

Well, I know I'm cruel letting those things happen to Konoha ppl, but I need a condition where Sakura has a reason to join Akatsuki! This is request, dun have choice.

Standard Disclaimer Apply

* * *

**Chapter 1: Betrayal**

"Five seconds, kunoichi. Or you will lose your pretty neck." A man, clad in a long black cloak with red patterns for added drama, held a kunai against her soft skin.

"Let's make a deal. I will join the Akatsuki. In reward, you will attack neither Konoha nor Naruto." She stated quickly, and clearly. And yet, the short statement invited the widened eyes from the four or five Akatsuki members which now surrounded her.

One of them smirked. "Well, little kunoichi. What makes you think we will accept a weak pretty girl like you into our organization?"

She smirked icily to the bunch of men around her. "Really? Want to feel how 'weak' I am?"

Just in time, Itachi arrived there.

"What happened?" he asked with no concern in his voice. A second later, his sharingan eyes widened ever-so-slightly when he saw her.

"Long time to see, Uchiha-san," she said, with a cold politeness in her every single word. She bowed slightly and politely at the Uchiha.

"Yes, it has been three months." He answered. His blood coloured eyes narrowed. The kunoichi just stared back daringly. Completely aware that it would be dangerous. But she hated this man. He made her team mates suffer in ways that they didn't deserve.

She hated him. She hated him to the core. He made her love plunge into the path of darkness, and kill the souls of his friends. She hated him. No, hate was an understatement.

SHE LOATHED, DETESTED, DESPISED THIS DAMN BASTARD!

No matter how badly she wanted to say it aloud into his face, she gave him no more words.

"What are you doing here?" he asked her calmly after an intense moment of staring between the two.

"I just want to make a deal with you guys," she replied coldly, the slightest hatred evident in her flat voice.

Deidara told Itachi about what she had said, the words said quickly, expecting an immediate answer. Upon hearing Deidara's explanation, his blood crimson eyes still locked with Sakura's emerald green ones, he opened his mouth to speak.

"How could I trust someone so loyal to Konoha… who killed two of our members?" he asked to no one in particular. His voice was calm, yet the deadly iciness could be heard in every syllable.

In instant, the bunch of men around her straightened up, as if preparing for a blow.

Sakura answered him with a dreadful calmness, "I didn't kill Akasuna or Sasori alone. Chiyo-baa-sama has helped me. But yes, I killed Kisame. It's just fair, I think. After what you did with Naruto and Kakashi. They now are experiencing something far worse than death." Her last two sentences were no more than an angry hiss.

She inhaled deeply, as if trying to control herself, smothering her anger, and then spoke again. "Do you want to receive my offer or not? If you don't…" her eyes narrowed. "I must kill you all… until there's no Akatsuki left."

She wasn't exactly bluffing. She knew that six Akatsuki on one little kunoichi was very outnumbered and unfair. But she had loved Konoha with all her heart since her parents' death. And she knew… she couldn't protect Konoha alone.

Kakashi, the famous copy ninja, couldn't walk normally any more. Naruto, the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki, was now blind. As for Gai's team… they were all killed in one suicide mission. It was a hard slap for Konoha, though. Despite the fact that the enemy was also killed altogether. Kurenai's and Asuma's teams had sent to another weak village to help them protect. Tsunade was too stubborn to take the teams back.

Therefore, the Godaime left her no choice.

Her deal was now just to eliminate one of the most dangerous enemies of Konohagakure. If they wouldn't agree with her, she would fight them to death. Orochimaru wouldn't touch Konohagakure any more. From the last resource she had from her spy, Kabuto betrayed him and killed him. Sasuke's position was unknown, for her great disappointment.

"Tell me, kunoichi." One of them spoke after a long pause. "What makes you think that we would prefer you rather than a Kyuubi?"

"I think you're not a stranger of the inhuman strength of Tsunade-sama?" she replied calmly. "I am now stronger than her." She stated matter-of-factly. "You can have me in your team, right?"

She didn't want to be arrogant of the fact that she was now stronger than her teacher, but still, she needed to tell them the fact so she could join the Akatsuki.

"Two, since the death of Sasori, I think you have no more medical Nin here?" She gave an almost visible half-mocking smirk. "I know that. Your chakra was a bit unsettled. You couldn't fool me. Not a one of you have perfect control of chakra. You all have large amounts of chakra, but no one can control it perfectly."

She was daring, they realized. But the Akatsuki member didn't just kill her right here. They didn't want to suffer more losses of their team. Because, even as she was over-confident with her words, she was truthful. They had a problem with healing their wounds because they lost Sasori.

But she was the best kunoichi in Konoha. And a loyal one, indeed. And now, her loyal ness brought her to where she didn't belong.

To Konoha's greatest enemy and threat.

Finally, a man with black spiky hair approached her and say, "We can't accept you just yet," he paused. "You must show us your ability. This." He gave a long parchment to her. There are 100 names there. Kill them all. Bring us their heads. If you can't finish this in three days, you are rejected."

She nodded in understanding while taking the parchment from the Akatsuki. Her brain worked quickly. She knew all the names there. They were famous for their blood lust.

"Friday afternoon, kunoichi. We'll see each other here at 6 pm., don't be late." Then he vanished from sight, followed by the other members.

--------------------------------------------------

"I would never accept that kind of ninja here, especially an annoying kunoichi like her. We have never had a girl on our team," the guy that gave Sakura the parchment grunted. Then he smirked malevolently. "She couldn't do that. No one in Akatsuki can do that, not the little kunoichi either. After all, she would be killed. The 100 people there were very powerful ninjas, and they are all men. A woman alone could not handle them. She would be killed. Or even if she could, she could not have done it within three days."

Itachi stayed silent, sitting on the floor, giving himself as much comfort as he could. He looked unconcerned and paid no heed with Sakura's appearance. He stared towards the window, looking at the bright blue sky, decorated with white clouds.

And yet, his mind wasn't there. His mind was on the certain pink-haired kunoichi he just met again.

Somehow, he wanted her to join them. He wanted to be with her.

She was… interesting after all. She was strong, she was loyal, she was trustworthy, but she was… innocent…and pure in many ways.

Ever since she disappeared the last time, he was kind of… obsessed with her. The more he tried to force himself to forget about her, the more the pink-haired kunoichi filled his head.

But she had nothing to do with him, he decided. Well, perhaps he would be pleased if she joined them, but if she died in her task, it wouldn't matter to him as well.

--------------------------------------------------

"There's no need to come," one of the men in black cloaks said while lazily playing with his hair. "She should be dead by now."

His words were reasonable to the clan murderer. And yet, somehow, he didn't want to believe that she was already dead. But he also didn't want to show his eagerness to meet her.

"…alright," he mumbled.

Hours by hours gone. If she wasn't killed, she should be here and complaining why they are late. But her presence wasn't anywhere near.

Now, it's already 9 pm., Itachi was still curious. He raised himself off the floor and walked to the door.

"Where are you going?"

"Just taking a walk. I'm growing bored here." Itachi didn't bother to look at the man before he shut the door quietly.

He walked slowly towards the promised place. At first, he thought no one was there. That was until he saw two big bags leaned on a tree. He moved forward to take a better look of them. Beside them, he saw… Sakura.

She slept, leaning against the tree. Her plump pink lips were slightly parted, and her shoulder made an up-down movement as she breathed in and out.

He watched her drifting away from her peaceful form quickly. Her face became alert, her eyes furrowing. But the next second, her feature returned to the previous calmness.

"…you're late." She stated after a long silence. "For three hours."

"…they thought you should be dead by now." Itachi explained truthfully.

"Understandable. Then why are you here?" she asked him.

"I was just bored." There was something in his tone which made her not believe him. She smirked teasingly.

"You were looking for me? How sweet…" She said mockingly while raising herself up.

"…" She wasn't entirely wrong. He couldn't deny it.

When she heard no response, she lifted her two overweight bags and gave it to him. And when he took a better look, they were stained with blood.

"So… can I join Akatsuki now?" she asked hopefully. Her eyes were twinkling like a lost puppy. For a second, and maybe because of her sleepiness, she forgot that she was talking with the man she hated most. The tone she used before was the tone when she was talking with her team-mate, with her friends, with Tsunade, with Kakashi, with Naruto. With Ino. With Sasuke.

Not this bastard enemy.

Without words, he opened the one of the bags.

Countless heads were there. Each wearing an expression in delight and some were drunk. Some even drooling, while the other seemed spaced out. Now the second one.

Each was wearing expressions in fear and terror. It was like they just realized that they couldn't be happy anymore.

"Oh… that… that one, I killed them earlier, then they didn't realize that they were about to die. And the other, I killed them after the first. They realized it, but had no time to fight back."

Itachi walked towards the Akatsuki lair while checking the heads one by one. She had done it. She killed them all.

There were their heads. One hundred men in Akatsuki top targets were all killed by a sixteen year old girl. Suddenly, he realized something.

"You killed them all at once?"

"Yes. For the first day you gave me, I wrote them invitation letters for some… err… entertainment. They came the second night. At midnight, I came to the place, and killed them. That was much more convenient than searching them down one by one and murdering them that way." Itachi understood what she meant by 'entertainment' easily. Even as ninja, the men were the same nonetheless.

"How could you enter that kind of place? A kunoichi in the place of ninja's entertainment is quite-" He was cut off, something he wasn't used to. Disrespect wasn't commonly shown to him.

"…I disguised myself as a whore." A faint blush crept up her cheeks despite her calm and cold tone.

Itachi couldn't help but thinking how enticing she looked like in such dress... stripping her clothes one by one...

The rest couldn't be told here due to the authoress didn't want to be banned from this site.

--------------------------------------------------

"So…" Deidara grunted, not even trying to look pleased (which was ignored by Sakura), "you may join us, un. And since you killed Itachi's partner, you'll be his partner, un."

"…you lost Sasori as well, didn't you? Why aren't I with you instead?" she protested.

"There's another person who joined us at that period of time, un." Sakura knew that was no use protesting any longer.

"Fine, then." She sighed disappointedly.

"Follow me. Each group has their own lair." Itachi explained while walking, followed by Sakura.

Neither of them talked during the two hours of the journey to their lair. Not a sound was heard from the people, or the land.

When they arrived, Itachi pointed to her bedroom. The room, in Sakura's opinion, was quite pleasant. The room was small and simple with its white walls and floor. A small bed placed in one corner and a cupboard at another one. Beside the bed, there was a small table. She put her things on the floor carelessly, and went back to Itachi, facing him.

For the first time since she received her Akatsuki cloak and had her forehead protector scratched, Sakura acknowledged Itachi.

"Let's make one thing clear first. Uchiha-san, I hate you."

* * *

Thank you for reading. Whew... I'm stuck with the plot. Could you give me any suggestion? I have the vague idea, but it's too short. I need longer one! Please! 

Thank you for the beta, ginbaby! You're great! I love you!

Review will GREATLY appreciated  
Lexy The Thief


	3. Memory and Adaptation

Yay! I finally update! I know, I know, it's such a long time since my last update of this story. But please understand. I begin my A-level now, and I recommended to finish it in one and a half year only. So, in other words, it costs my time much... ;

This is UNBETAED version. Sorry if there's some senteces off. But I can't contact my beta now, since her computer went freezing. (Hope ur computer will be repaired soon, ginbaby)

Thanks for the review, I really appreciate it.

Standard Disclaimer Apply

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 2: Memory and Adaptation**

It had already been a month since Sakura joined the Akatsuki. Once a week, all members in Akatsuki always united in random places. Precisely the same as Sakura's researches about the Akatsuki.

Sakura, as a normal teenage girl, quickly blended with the other members. The other members were now accepting Sakura as their team mate. Especially when Sakura proved that she was a great use to the Akatsuki.

In Sakura's own opinion, being an Akatsuki wasn't too bad after all. Even though the organization had hunted the Jinchuuriki, they weren't different much from her friends in Konohagakure. Well, of course, except they had brutally murdered thousands of ninja. But as long as they didn't attack Konohagakure, she could bear with it. They were fun to talk to and laugh with, after all.

Right now, in the hidden depth of forest, the Akatsuki united for further command from their boss. But they seemed to have no job, so they were now just wasting their time in the forest with their own interest.

"This is because of you, un," Deidara mumbled to the girl who sat on the big rock, playing with his long blond hair. "You killed one hundred of our top targets, un; we have no job lately, un."

"Really?" Sakura asked, unconcerned, combing his blond hair carefully. "Well, there's nothing bad about it, right?"

Deidara sighed, "Yes, but I'm bored, un. How about if we exchange places? Un?"

"My hair is short, Deidara-san. That's why I played with yours in the first place." She replied nonchalantly while tying his hair into a neat bun. That was the third model Sakura tried in that day.

A man with black spiky hair approached them, "Being the only girl in our team, you're very spoiled." He said matter-of-factly while brushed his hand over her silky pink hair carelessly. "You should be grateful."

That was right. Sakura, being the only girl and the youngest member in the Akatsuki, had been loveable and quickly gained affection from every Akatsuki member. Sure, they sometimes made fun of her, just for a laugh. But her smile and kind behaviour were always the best at taking the affection, even when she didn't want to. Their boss even liked Sakura for her skill and work.

"Thank you," she grinned back. Ignoring the cold gaze she felt from the Uchiha, she chatted with the man, sometimes laughing in-between. She realized his gaze long before, but she pretended that she didn't give a shit about it.

Actually, their relationship wasn't too bad either. They managed to work as a super team in this month. No matter how difficult the mission had been, they could finish it in one until three days. Sometimes, even, Sakura forbade him doing the mission if the mission was easy in her opinion.

Well, in fact, she forbade him because she knew that it would be more victims if he was involved. Their targets were usually just two or three people. But when he became involved, it could be hundreds of corpses on the ground. And she didn't like that.

Itachi stared insistently at the girl in opposite direction. Her behaviour towards the other team members wasn't completely different. But when she was with him, she was more formal and polite. Maybe it was because of his cold composure, he decided absently. But he remembered precisely what she said at their first night together in their lair as if it was a minute since then.

"_Let's make one thing clear first, Uchiha-san. I hate you."_

_He didn't say anything. Shock? No. He knew it. He knew it before, as clear as daylight. He just didn't expect such things could be heard from the kunoichi's mouth in front of him. He was just staring at her defiant green eyes indifferently in reaction. She shut her eyes tightly._

"_But it was my decision to join Akatsuki. And since we are a team right now, until the end, I will manage to make a good relationship between us." She inhaled again, opened her eyes, then said a long paragraph in one breath, the words almost incomprehensible, like already arranged and memorized before._

"_I fear I must confess it, Uchiha-san. Despite my hatred towards you and my strong urge to kill you, things haven't gone to plan, Uchiha-san. I can assure you, though, that I would have done my best when facing up to destiny. _

"_We would do well to remember a human is a human nonetheless. You have my firm assurances that I won't try to kill you unless I have to. Events will resolve themselves in spite of come what may. I only can apologize of every future inconvenience. I simply wish to emphasize I have your interests uppermost. And that, Uchiha-san, in conclusion, is all I have to say."_

_She then quickly turned her back to him, and disappeared behind her bedroom door to arrange her things with a quiet slam._

After that, Sakura treated him like she treated her distant friends. Sure, in many occasions, he had caught her staring hatefully at him or making a tiny jerk every time he brushed accidentally against her.

But lately, she was kinder. She even asked him if she could comb his long hair when she was bored, which sometimes was accepted. But she didn't make some ridiculous model to his hair like she did with Deidara. She just combed his hair, and tied it casually. Done. She hardly had a laugh with him in every occasion despite the time she had spent with him was much longer than the time she had spent with other Akatsuki members.

No, she even hardly had a talk with him, let alone a laugh. The longest conversation they ever had was just in their first night. The rule in Akatsuki? She had asked Deidara to explain the rule to her.

But besides that, she proved that she was a great partner. She hardly ever healed him, just twice as he could remember, because he was never wounded seriously, the treatment itself was just to fix his sharingan after fighting. But she was also a great fighter. Had no lust of blood, though. Every mission, she always had a disapproving look in her face when she saw the blood that squirted from their victims, often closing her eyes as she fought so she wouldn't have to see the look on their faces as they died.

His thought distracted when he heard a loud male shriek and a feminine laugh. That sound only meant one thing.

Deidara had seen his hair reflected on the mirror.

--------------------------------------------------

She rushed to Uchiha's place. They finally got a fairly hard mission, to bring Nibi Jinchuuriki to Akatsuki. For their experiment, they didn't expect that the Nibi could be protected so tightly. She already made half of Nibi's protectors pass out. But when her nose caught the familiar scent of blood, she turned around quickly and rushed to Itachi's position. While running, she made the guards around her passing out with hitting their pressure points.

_This is still an easy stage. He shouldn't kill anyone right now._

Finally, her emerald eyes caught a glimpse of him.

He killed. Killing so many souls that she lost count. And ready to kill others as he raised his katana.

"ITACHI!" she screamed, completely forgetting the formal 'Uchiha-san' phrase she usually used.

Itachi's thought was distracted just slightly by her voice. His hands were still doing the killing. Cutting heads by heads, killing souls by souls with an incredible speed.

That was until a girl with pink hair stood on his way, deflecting every blow from his fury katana.

When they reached the other side, Itachi opened his mouth, and yet, Sakura's harsh voice cut him.

"Don't kill!" Fear and fury marked her now bloodied face. "We are assigned to bring the Nibi Jinchuuriki to Akatsuki. Not to slaughter the whole village!"

_They have family waiting for them! They have much precious people! They are humans! He couldn't kill them like he kills animals!_

Don't be foolish, Sakura." Itachi replied calmly as if they were talking about the weather. "If we don't kill them, what should we do to them? You're too merciful. Look at them. None of them die. They will attack us next second."

Itachi pointed the bunch of ninjas behind them. As Itachi did so, suddenly, they were all falling, obviously were unconscious. His brain was quick to understand.

_She hit their pressure points while protecting them…_

"We don't need to kill them… we are able to pass without killing them…" her voice sounded close to tears right now.

"Please! Please! I beg you not to kill them! You won't get anything if you kill!"

His eyes narrowed ever-so-slightly when a memory came back to him.

"_Please! You won't get anything even if you kill Otou-san!"_

But back to his company, he couldn't believe his own ears. Haruno Sakura, the kunoichi that loathed him so, was actually begging him right now.

He shrugged nonchalantly, and yet, until they captured the Nibi Jinchuuriki, Itachi didn't kill anyone. He merely made them unconscious as requested.

--------------------------------------------------

They were on the way back after sucked the Nibi out of the Jinchuuriki. Neither of them exchanged words since Sakura forbade him to kill.

"Itachi-san…" she called out softly. The first—no, second time she called him not by his family name. And yet, still formal. He glanced at her.

She opened her mouth. "I…"

Suddenly, a heavy rain fell to the earth. They both inwardly cursed, running into the nearby cave.

They dried themselves quickly. Not really necessary, though. They wore hoods, and their cloaks were quite waterproof. They lit a fire afterwards. Sakura stared to the sky through the cave's mouth.

_It's already night… Damn, I hate rain._

"Itachi-san, I…" She stopped as she glanced at the Sharingan user.

He fell asleep.

_Ah… he must be tired… Understandable. Killing is easier than defeating without killing. You have to control yourself… control your chakra…_

Sakura observed him a little longer. His face still looked stoic and alert even when he was sleeping. His raven silky hair, his jaw lines, his pale smooth skin, his slightly feminine features…

_He's so madly looked like Sasuke…_

She felt her heart missed a beat at the thought. She shook her head from the thought.

_I must be crazy… thinking like that… Sasuke is hundredfold better than him…_

But finally, she admitted that she was somehow attracted by him. His pretty face, his dark bangs, his pale flesh, his thin lips…

His mixture of angel and devil face…

_No, no… _she thought, _I shouldn't feel this… He's Uchiha Itachi, for god's sake. I have enough experience dealing with Uchiha._

_Loving the Uchiha._

Suddenly, she felt disgusted with herself. _Came on, _she scolded herself, _you're not that cheap…_

But alas, for the first time, she smiled for him and approached him. She took out her blanket from inside her cloak—a habit since she was genin, and enveloped the Uchiha inside the blanket.

"Itachi-san…," she said, "…thank you."

She stripped her cloak, setting it on the ground, and sleep on the thick, luxury material.

Unknown by Sakura, for the first time in the Sharingan user's life, he could slept so contently.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

I really appreciate the reviews, I really do. winks

Actually I already write this story up to chapter 5. You just have to review to make me update fast. evil laugh

Thanks,  
£exy The Thief


	4. Precious Time

This is also an unbetaed version. Sorry, I'll contact my beta as soon as possible. Or I'll get another beta. Anyone want to volunteer? Give me ur e-mail.

Standard Disclaimer Apply

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 3: Precious Time**

Itachi yawned slightly while he woke up in his room.

Wait, in his room? Didn't he sleep in the nearby cave? Or was it just a dream?

No, it definitely wasn't a dream. So what happened, then?

The answer came straight when he heard someone knocking his door.

"It's me." Sakura's voice.

"Enter," he replied with a slight lazy yawn in his voice.

Sakura did as told and asked, "Itachi-san, do you want to have a breakfast?"

Itachi noted her difference in calling his name. And, damn, for the first time, she asked him with a smile—undoubtedly her most breathe taking, sweetest, most innocent smile—on.

When he didn't answer, she asked once more. "Itachi-san?"

Itachi snapped out of his daze—the thing that rarely happened, and nodded. "Wait a minute."

He went to his bathroom, washing his face quickly, and ready for the breakfast. Sakura was on her chair, waiting for him. Breakfast was the thing they always did together. When he was with Kisame, they just ate wild fruits or rabbit as their meal.

_This is the advantage having a girl as a company…_

Their foods were quite good; Sakura was a good cook after all. However, except for the smile, their morning this time was no difference, Itachi noted. Her face was still nonchalant and unconcerned as usual. It must be his imagination, but her face didn't so stoic and blank as it used to be when she was around him alone.

Or at least, hatred wasn't etched in the spring orbs.

After she put down her chopsticks and wiped her mouth, she spoke, "I was the one who brought you here." She stared into his eyes.

"You looked so content; I didn't dare wake you up. After the rain stopped, I brought you here."

Man, she was right. Somehow, this morning, he didn't dare to open his eyes, as if afraid to be woken up to reality, as if afraid being woken up from a very beautiful dream…

But it was too vivid to be a dream, so what were those? The peaceful feelings, the safe ambiance, the pleasurable sensation that had shot up his mind… It was better than climbing to heaven… Better than bliss.

It was too real to be a dream… and yet too perfect to be a reality. But dream and imagination was always the realest reality…

But somehow, he knew it wasn't just a dream…

He was so deep in his ocean of thoughts that he didn't aware that she brought up all the dishes to their small kitchen. His thought distracted by the sound of the water flowed down the tub.

She glanced to the calendar beside her while cleaning their dishes. Still four days to the next meeting.

If she was in her sanity, maybe she wouldn't do this. But, she found her mouth said:

"Care for training, Itachi-san?"

--------------------------------------------------

He was amazed.

Even with his sharingan, she still managed to make incredible genjutsu to trick him. He flicked what seemed like hundreds of kunai. They instantly accelerated towards her with terrifying speed and accuracy. And yet, she managed to dodge most of them.

If people saw them, no one would think that they were just training. With several trees crushed, kunai and shuriken were everywhere, sharingan on, and earth shattered, ones would think they were a meant rival.

This was more than his hardest mission.

By afternoon, they had rid their cloaks off for better movements. They were bleeding pretty much now, yet nothing serious.

_Right, backwards, left… right again… _She knew he was a prodigy. But she didn't know that he was this strong. Kunai those were swishing around her left her no choice but to take a little wound. And yet…

_It didn't hurt… _she thought, _genjutsu?_

"KAI!" When she looked upwards, she saw Itachi was ready to attack her.

_Too late? No… Nothing is impossible for a Sakura…_

She daringly jumped and met his movement, making him losing his tempo. But she wasn't fast enough to strike him back… They collided in the air and losing their balance.

With a loud 'bang', they both fell to the ground hard. Itachi on top Sakura.

"Uff…" Sakura whimpered. _Thank God I didn't break my spine._

Her face went red as the realization that they were in the compromising position struck her. She was sandwiched between the ground and his body. His hands, surprisingly warm, had protected her in the last millisecond after that collision. One was holding her head and the other circled around her waist to prevent broken bones.

"Itachi-san…" she mumbled, "…you're heavy…" It was the first thing she could think at this moment. Knowing that Sasuke also had said that when she was over him.

It was a stupid, inane, idiot excuse though, knowing the fact that she had brought him to their lair.

Itachi quickly got up and straightened himself. His face looked nonchalant as usual. Sakura wondered how he could be so calm when she was afraid that he could hear her heart pounding wildly inside her chest.

"I think we should stop by now…" Sakura muttered quietly. "We made such a disaster here…"

"Hn." Itachi answered in a tone that reminded her so much of Sasuke. _It must be traits, _she decided in small annoyance. _Can't the Uchihas think about the more creative answer? They missed their language lesson, it must be that way. They are too obsessed by power and trained too much until they don't know that there's a part of language that so called sentences._

"Ummph…" She grunted, then sinking herself into the ground even more. Lying on the land beneath her, feeling the cool ground on her back. Her hands came up to support her head and her eyes closed, she was resting for a while. Completely oblivious to the gaze Itachi gave her.

Itachi stared at her vulnerable position. _She trusts me, _he thought inwardly. _She believed I wouldn't hurt her even though she hates me._

After one or two minutes of quick resting, she stood up. Without words, she took his hands and half dragged him to the lair.

With her hand gesture, he quickly seated himself in the nearby sofa, then letting her to do her wound examination ritual.

"Why aren't you heal yourself instead?" he said flatly when she healed him.

"I want my body to get used up to pain," she answered, "and improving my own medical skill. For that reason also, I really want to examine your sharingan."

He huffed and smirked. "You've asked me that thousands already. Why do you so eager to learn the sharingan?"

"I have said it." She shrugged nonchalantly.

"I know, but there must be another reason. I don't have sharingan for nothing. You're not lying, but you're not entirely truthful either."

"Okay," she sighed in defeat, "I've always loved sharingan since the first time I saw them. I think its colour is the most beautiful colour in the world."

"_I always loved the sharingan."_

If he had been an ordinary man, he would have danced a happy-joy-joy dance, since the sharingan is his, and it has been said from a certain pink-haired Akatsuki.

"_I always loved the sharingan since the first time I saw them."_

The sharingan has always been associated with him. Almost always, actually.

"_Since the first time I saw them."_

Did she… did she had loved… since…

O my… The thought was always taboo for an Uchiha Itachi. The UCHIHA ITACHI won't EVER fall in love with someone so…

…

So… what?

…

So strong?

So tempting?

So beautiful?

So sexy?

But it was all to him, right? Just a beautiful face.

And yet, he found himself err… for lack of better words, attracted to her since the first time they met.

"So?" The feminine sweet voice he knew too well this month snapped him out of his thought.

He thought for a moment. And then the realization what she was talking about dawned to him.

"Well, since you loved sharingan so much so…"

The innocent green shade of her eyes lit up with hope.

"…I still won't allow you."

She visibly dropped.

"Uff… I know that…" she pouted cutely.

It was amazing to look at the girl who always so cold and so brave in the battlefield to act like a four year old children who didn't get the toy they wanted.

And Itachi, the GREAT UCHIHA ITACHI thought it was almost CUTE.

Damn, damn hormones.

"With your first words when you came here, and with your fiery personality, I hardly doubt that you wouldn't try to kill me, or destroy my sharingan…" He surprised himself to have this kind of nice conversation with her. But since this morning, everything was changed. Her attitude towards him, her smiles, her…

Well, everything about her was nice. (Of course! You're falling in love with her, baka!)

"Oh, came on, why would I do that? I have accompanied you nicely this month. I even _almost _look at you as my brother."

The Uchiha's expression changed ever-so-slightly. Sakura noticed this, and misunderstood it.

"Sorry. It's just… I never have a brother. I wonder how it feels to have one."

_A… brother?_

Right now, he had to be satisfied with her opinion, and silently praying for more. He ignored the sinking feeling inside his stomach, and watched her walked away to the kitchen.

Minutes later, she came back with two plates on her hands. They settled themselves on the chairs, and then began to eat silently and somehow, contently.

When she raised up to clean the dishes, she said, "I forgot to tell you."

"Tell me what?"

"That you're the best spar I've ever met."

"You too." He replied, acknowledging her.

"Well, actually it's because I've never have a spar partner before except Tsunade-shishou." She grinned. "My team mates always treat me like I'm a frail glass doll." She huffed dispassionately.

_And you're really like one. Understandable._

Without any other words, he went to the toilet for some minutes. When he came back to the living room, Sakura already slept there. Her body sprawled and exposed to his sight. Slight snoozes were heard from her slightly parted lips.

_But you will be mended. Again. And again. Strengthen in the process. In the mending. Until nothing can break you anymore._

He smirked inwardly. She must be tired. He was so tired himself because of their 'dead or alive' training. Let alone a girl like her, so fragile and delicate. He cupped the sleeping kunoichi to his arms. She was so light, as if made from feathers. He almost brought her to her own room. That was until he heard her words echoing in his memory.

"_Uchiha-san, please don't come to my room unless I allow you to."_

With a sigh, he brought her to his room and settled her on his bed and put his blanket over her soft feature.

Unable to resist the temptation, he bent over her, and kissed her. A soft kiss, but a kiss nonetheless. It lasted for about ten second, then he pulled away, satisfied with the taste of her lips.

Yeah, he was a man after all.

Before he fell to a deep slumber, an unbidden thought occurred to him.

_If only this precious moment lasting forever…_

But deep inside his heart, he knew that it wouldn't.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Ok, how was it? I know this chapter was a bit pointless, I just want to add some fluff here... Well, actually, this chapter will take the twist in the twist of this story.

I won't be updating for a month, because touching the computer is forbidden during this May. I'm taking my IGCSE final test.

Pray for me. I repeat, pray for me! If I'm not passing, I probably could never update the stories! So pray for my success in especially PHYSICS! I CAN'T stand physics. If someone hit by a car, what we must do is helping the person. NOT COUNTING THE MOMENTUM! Right?

Ok, then. Just review and encourage me in my test, kay?

Thanks,  
£exy The Thief


	5. Detour

The exam went and passed.

Comment?

I'M STRESS!

But at least I managed to post this story...

I'm sad with the decreasing number in reviews... (fingers danced over the calculator)

I couldn't do Physics at that time!

(Stop the babbling)

Well, enjoy!

Standard Disclaimer Apply

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 4: Detour**

Uchiha Itachi was smitten.

Now that was a sentence you won't hear everyday.

He thought he wouldn't. Because it's IMPOSSIBLE for UCHIHA ITACHI to FALL IN LOVE.

He thought it was just hormones. And it was quite making sense since right from young, the only woman in close proximity to him was just his mother. And he definitely didn't have any Oedipus complex. So when Sakura came, maybe it finally clicked to him that ACTUALLY Uchiha Itachi had a heart and hormones. Especially when the girl was exceptionally beautiful and strong. The kind that hardly could be found in the world.

Yeah, it was hard. Since the certain girl had the most beautiful shade of emerald in her eyes.

Or since she had pink hair that felt silky in his hand every time he ruffled her hair in affection.

Yes, it was just hormones.

And it was quite accidental that it kicked overdrive when a certain pink-haired kunoichi entered a room.

Or when she smiled when she woke him in the morning.

Or when she combed his long hair in when she was bored.

Or when his name came out from her rosy lips.

Or when she snuggled closer to him when he ruffled her pink hair, an attitude that a sibling would casually do. And a brother she loved him as.

Or when she was panting from her exhaustion after training.

Or when her cleavage was shown when she stretched herself.

Or whenever the thought of their lips locked together came to him… Memorizing how wonderful her taste and scent might be…

…

_Shit! Shit! SHIT!_

--------------------------------------------------

She changed her opinion towards him.

It was hard to collaborate with the one you hate; so then she decided to like him. In addition, how could you bear with someone you hate for almost 24/7? She didn't want herself to be a sleepwalker and kill her company in the process.

After all, he wasn't too bad in any case.

He acknowledged her, wanted to train with her, even though he still didn't allow her to check his sharingan out. He even gave her good advices during their training.

Sometimes, she felt her stomach flipped when she saw him. But she just ignored it. She kept telling herself that it was because he looked so madly like her 'Sasuke-kun'.

Sasuke…

When would he go back to Konoha? She missed him. Really missed him. Damn, she had loved him. And she thought she still loved him until now, since…

Her thoughts snapped back to reality as Itachi entered the kitchen. Her hands, which were doing the potatoes, also stopped moving.

Her stomach was doing the flip-flops again.

No, not good. She was supposed to hate this man. Not to fall for him. It was just _plainly _ridiculous.

Okay, he might very well be handsome, so tempting, so hot, that any normal girl would throw themselves at his feet the second his figure came into view.

But was she a normal girl? No. No normal girl could possibly crush a whole mountain with a mere single slam of her fist.

Yes, her feelings for him were just in the neutral zone. Hate, no. Love, hell no.

…

Yes. Really.

…

Really?

Okay, she lied.

She liked him, almost loved him.

And loved him she did. However, she restrained herself and her feelings so the feeling wouldn't develop any further. She didn't dare to fall in love with him; she kept her heart still and stoic, not to grow a land full of flowers, not to grow eve ONE flower. She loved him, but just as her brother. She just never had a fellow companion that was close to her, even closer than Naruto, Sasuke, and Kakashi.

Team seven was the most precious people she ever had, but he was now somehow special. He treated her with a…

With a what?

Itachi was not an ordinary man. It was hard to read anything behind that poker face. The closest thing to a smile in his face was only a smirk.

She even wondered if he ever fell in love with someone.

But secretly, deep inside her heart, she wished he never did.

Too bad she didn't realize it.

He ruffled her hair when he walked past her.

"Hey! You ruined my hair!" she yelled, but in her mind, she quite liked it.

In reality, once, and _only once_, she cursed herself for snuggling closer to him when he ruffled her hair.

But she was exhausted! It was after a mission! AND she—even though she wouldn't admit it loudly—desperately needed comfort.

Besides, the warmth of the large hand of his was too irresistible.

She felt something stirred in her stomach again.

What was that…?

…

Potato.

Yes, focus on cutting potato.

--------------------------------------------------

Mission once more.

And it was quite annoying to both of them. SINCE Sakura wouldn't want anyone hurt besides the target, she disguised herself as a geisha due to the place.

She felt uncomfortable moving in a baggy kimono with cherry blossom patterns she wore.

And the overly high sandals were too annoying.

And she had to mask her hair. Her hair was still innocent pink as ever, but with Henge no Jutsu, she lengthened it until it reached the back of her knee.

And she already put it in a geisha-bun, for God's sake! She now hated long hair, as it prevented her to move freely.

And WHY did it have to be nearby Konoha?

Damn her boss, damn Deidara who made her up like this. Who knew that Deidara was capable of makeover?

…

Wait a second.

Why did that annoyed Itachi?

Technically, it wasn't supposed to be a problem to him. Since he loved her now, Sakura in a kimono was indeed a lovely sight to see. It was proven in a lab observation, according to the statistics, the data showed that ever since Sakura entered the building, no less than three dozens of male's head turned to her lustfully.

Even if the kimono hid her gorgeous curvaceous figure.

So why must he be annoyed?

First, the sight of her when meeting him and telling him that her plan was way too appealing. So he had to collect himself and had a hard time in listening to her whispered plan, since it took all of his might not to cup the girl in front of him to their lair and lay her there.

Secondly, he definitely didn't like the lustful glances the men gave her. He felt that only he had the right to see her fully dressed and made up like that.

And last, the most annoying one, how could he expect himself to work properly when 'his brother' was standing up straight? (Without the owner's permission, of course.)

And he silently thanked God, Buddha, Kami-sama, Santa Claus, Satan, and every single Deity of every known religion for the fact that the Akatsuki cloak was hideous.

Still, it was terribly uncomfortable. Yet, at least, he just accompanied her. He didn't do the killing this time.

But…

_- twitch -_

She came into the view.

_Damn! Damn! Damn!_

--------------------------------------------------

It was done. The target had been killed smoothly and flawlessly in her hand. But it was no easy task for her to get away. Because when she exited the room, another line of 'guests' was waiting for her.

She apologized and made excuses that she was tired, but the males wouldn't listen. She then allowed herself to accompany them for some minutes.

She looked up and saw Itachi in the corner of the building. She caught his eyes and made an apologetic look since she couldn't escape from the place just yet.

Then she heard the building's door opened. Her eyes reflexively moved to the direction. She froze.

The figure at the door moved to her.

No, it wasn't because she was afraid that she had to accompany more guests.

Positively not.

But since the figure was Genma, it was indeed a problem. My, my. She knew it would be a problem if the mission was nearby Konohagakure.

Worse, his eyes caught her frame.

_Damn, damn! What to do?_

Nevertheless, she was a little relieved for the fact that he was slightly drunk.

However, neither the alcohol fog in his brain nor the crowd within the pub could ever stop him to recognize the pink-haired kunoichi in the opposite direction.

Because of the high doze of the alcohol, without minding the other people, he rushed up to the kunoichi and pulled her to his embrace, breathed in the scent of her hair. It made every male (Itachi was no exception) flared up and yelled to him. Yet, he ignored all of them.

"Where have you been these months?" She heard him murmured to her hair. Sakura wasn't too surprised by his gesture; his affection towards her was no secret in Konoha. "We searched desperately for you. The ANBU, Godaime-sama, Kakashi, Naruto…"

Upon hearing their names, she flinched ever so slightly in his hold.

"We will talk about this," she told him firmly, "in the room." She ignored the loud protests from her surrounding.

When she locked the door, she faced him.

"I'm sorry."

"For what…?" He demanded, his voice slurred.

"For everything."

"_Err… Sakura, it might not be the time, but I have a crush on you ever since…"_

_She blushed madly, "I'm so sorry, but I—,"_

"_But… I… kind of…" she stammered nervously. He visibly dropped, but he waved his hand._

"_No, it was no problem. I understand."_

"I'm sorry." She spoke once more.

She had to kill him. Special poisonous needles were firmly gripped in her soft hand. Due to the length of the kimono and his drunken state, he missed the fact.

Now…

…she had to kill him.

To hide her betrayal to Konohagakure.

But could she? Could she betray the one who loved her so, let alone kill him?

She could, of course. She was no longer an innocent Haruno Sakura. She was now Akatsuki no Sakura.

A goddamn Akatsuki no Sakura. Whose hand had been stained with blood and sins.

She could.

…

Could she?

**XXXXXXXXXX**

How was it?

I'm still stress because of Physics and Biology...

Okay, review, please! Your reviews are healers for me.

Eh, can anyone of you do me a favour? If you love my story (and I mean really really love it), please send me a postcard here! Contact me, I'll give you my address!

I'm a stamps collector, you know...

(Still desperate to get more stamps, everyone uses email now)

Thanks,  
£exy The Thief


	6. Killing The Innocent

I'm soooo bored this holiday. Aargh… Friday is the day the school report given (translation: the end of the world). Just… pray, okay? If I die in the process of execution, I won't be able to update anymore.

This is an unbetaed version. I want to beta it first, but I feel guilty because I haven't update this story for a long time.

Standard Disclaimer Applied

Enjoy!

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 5: Killing the Innocent**

The poisonous needles were stained.

With blood.

Genma's blood.

"I'm sorry, Genma…" she whispered, ignoring the wetness that was staining her pretty face. Her own tears. For the first time since she decided to join the Akatsuki.

"I'm so sorry." Another tear dropped from her emerald eyes.

_I had no choice. I had no choice. You don't understand. You would NEVER understand._

Slowly, she bent down to him and healed him. Now, even though the Konohagakure ninja was already dead, he had no trace of wound at his skin or internal organs. Nor the poison could be detected.

Tsunade didn't know that she had the ability like that. She wouldn't know.

She heard the door clicked open. She glanced to the figure that was standing there. There was the only man there who could open the locked door without crushing it.

Never bothered to wipe away her tears, ignoring the fact that her company now seeing her crying, she walked past him. With her hand, she gestured him to come back to their lair.

She performed three seals. Henge no Jutsu. She changed herself into a man to avoid the other men. Without words, he followed her man figure to the lair.

Without any sound, they entered their lair. Immediately, Sakura changed her state into her normal figure. Within some minutes, she just stood right there. Never moving. Her expression was unreadable, yet the sadness could be flickered out in the cool emerald eyes of hers.

Yet after she threw herself onto the sofa. Itachi watched motionlessly. He knew she hated killing, but if it was a mission, she would do it. Yet, usually, she didn't know anything about the ones she killed, except their name and their appearance.

But now… she had just killed her own friend. The one she used to work with a long time ago. The one who loved her and the one she loved.

Someone innocent.

The feeling was so torturing. They stirred rapidly inside her heart. It was… uncomfortable, unbearable. Too much!

She needed comfort. Needed release. She needed… needed…

"Itachi-san…" she said slowly, her voice was strained, as if from tears. "May I scream?"

A questioning look popped out from the Uchiha's face, but he nodded nonetheless.

A few seconds later, an anguished scream rang out throughout the forest, followed by some birds and some other animals flying away from their nest.

--------------------------------------------------

She hated herself.

That night afterwards, she really needed comfort. She really needed release. She needed someone to hold her and soothe her.

And the next thing she knew, she was asleep in Itachi's arms. Her body was on his lap, her head rested upon his shoulder.

Damn, she hated that night. She cursed mentally; the improper words that couldn't come out from her innocent little mouth were actually rolling back and forth in her brain.

She hated the fact that she looked vulnerable.

She hated the fact that she had cried.

She hated the fact that her side that she didn't mean and plan to show had shown up.

And above all of them, she hated the fact that it was Itachi who had comforted her.

It was just… It was Itachi! And for some reasons, she didn't want to show him her weak side. She had to be strong. She had to be tough. She had to be bold. Being childish was okay, being weak was another.

Well, not anymore.

The words that she couldn't forget once again played in her mind.

"_Are you okay, Sakura-chan? Are you hurt?"_

"_Sakura-chan! I will show you that I'm your hero!"_

"_I despise weaklings!"_

"_If you have time to ask me out for date, why don't you just train?"_

"_Sakura, leave. I will handle this."_

"_You really are… annoying."_

Those words. She hated those words. It had proven her to be a weakling, the one who was an object to be protected.

Not the protector itself.

And she hated that! This was the time for the women to be strong! Women emancipation! Girl's power!

She had to prove that she was strong! Now, it sickened her to no end when she recalled how girlish and weak she was back then.

Sakura shook her head. Really. It didn't matter much after she thought about it for a while.

It mattered, because it was Itachi. It was ITACHI who had seen him. She wouldn't think as much if Deidara, or Naruto, or Kakashi sees her like that. She didn't care much, really.

Because it was Itachi, it was mattered.

Itachi.

Itachi. Itachi. Itachi.

She didn't know before that he was the one that mattered. For her. Damn, she didn't get how could she think that someone she had known all evil and a heartless killer who was even heartless enough to slaughter his own clan could have a special part in her heart.

And yet, why her heart kept chanting his name? It wasn't even a beautiful name! It meant weasel, dammit! Compared to hers, she would think that his parents weren't creative at all. Her name was Haruno Sakura. Cherry Blossom of spring. It was a beautiful name, wasn't it? (Narcissism came out) And he? It was Itachi. Itachi meant Weasel.

Weasel!

The Uchihas apparently had no sense of art.

…

_Wait! What am I thinking? That was NOT my problem. I don't care if his parents gave him name such as 'bastard' or 'unchi'. _(Unchifaeces) _Wait, 'Unchi' is rather nice, really. More friendly than Itachi._

…

_It's not that!_

No. He was her company, and she tended to keep it that way.

True, she loved him, and her heart felt all warm, tingly, and safe every time he was in sight or his presence was near her. But that was it. He was her so-called-brother now. It was like the love between siblings. No fuzzy feelings whatsoever.

She smacked her inner self when she whispered naughtily to her:

"_**Oh, so you're into incest now, aren't you?"**_

Yet, the more the Outer Sakura stomped the Inner one, the more the sentence kept chanting in her unusually big brain.

Damn!

--------------------------------------------------

Itachi was beyond pleased.

All the night, Sakura had been engulfed in his arms. Totally depended on him to search for comfort. Her body felt so warm and perfect in his arms. She was small and light. He could easily hide her inside his cloak.

He felt like doing the-mixture-of-worm-and-epilepsy-patient-dance. But thinking that it wouldn't be a pretty sight to see, he didn't.

He still remembered…

He wasn't his usual. Ones could rarely see the Uchiha prodigy spacing out, and yet, with a contented look on his face.

He didn't deny his feelings towards the pink-haired Akatsuki anymore. In fact, he encouraged it now.

He was never afraid that the girl would leave him, because she was stuck for a lifetime to him. Well, even if she falls in love with another Akatsuki member, she would be stuck with him. And it would give him much more opportunity to be with her and coax her back to be with him and him only…

The thought itself almost made him fly and vomit at the same time.

Oh heck, it didn't matter now. He was in pure euphoria.

He smirked as the figure of the female Akatsuki brought two trays of foods.

--------------------------------------------------

"I don't know… I don't know what to do." Tsunade sighed, rubbing her eyes tiredly.

Kakashi lowered his head, quickly sitting on the sofa that was in the Hokage's office.

"Where can she be?" Kakashi sighed. "ANBU can't ever find her track. She didn't say anything before she magically disappeared from this village. All we know is…"

"…that she left on her own will." Tsunade finished. "Some genjutsu were known to be found around the Konoha that time… and also around her house."

"No… not really," Kakashi tapped his chin in thought. "She could be kidnapped. Perhaps her captor didn't want her to be found."

"Why should they capture her?" Tsunade snapped. "If they want her dead, they should just kill her in place."

"Want her power, perhaps? They can hypnotize her and put her in their will."

"She isn't the one to control. Even mangekyou sharingan can't put her into submission so easily. You're the one who train the sharingan against her, right?"

"Erg… yeah…" he scratched his head. "But… still… we don't know if one has the stronger hypnotizing technique…"

"You're right. But the thing is that we need Sakura… She is even stronger than me. You just can't believe that I still have this bruise until now. And it had been seven months! Not that I'm saying that you're useless… but…" The Godaime trailed as she lost words.

"You missed her." Kakashi stated.

Silence.

Kakashi continued, "She's your daughter. Ever since her parents passed away, you're her mother. If it's only about the village, the village hadn't been intruded lately… since she had gone, I might conclude."

_Wait… since she had gone? Can it be possible that she…_

"…" The Hokage fell silent, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to fall. But then she recollected herself.

"Now, let's talk about your feet. I know you are able to walk again, but don't push your knees much, because they still need…"

Kakashi knew it was best not to say a word about Sakura again to the blonde woman in front of him.

--------------------------------------------------

She brushed her hair.

It was getting annoying. It had been six months ever since she joined Akatsuki. And she hadn't cut her hair since four months before she joined the organization.

It had gotten long, reaching her upper waist. Her hair was growing in a fast rate. The hair didn't bother her so much in mission, though. She just didn't feel like it.

Furthermore, it would be better to have a short hair beside Itachi. They seemed nice together that way. Since Itachi had long hair, it would be better if his mate have a short one.

SMACK!

"IT'S NOT THAT!" she roared to her inner self who add her own text in the story.

"_**Hey, I'm you, remember?"**_

STOMP! WHAM! PUNCH!

Outer Sakura win!

Err… okay, back to the story.

Well, it's not that she didn't want to cut her hair, but it just… she couldn't do it well on her own. Usually Tsunade-shishou did it for her.

…

Tsunade-shishou…

Oh, how she missed her. She was the replacement of her parents. She was her teacher, mother, father, friend, sister, goal, rival, and companion…

Everything. Everything a person could be for her.

She snapped from her ocean of thoughts. She realized how stupid her position was. Scissors was in her hand. And she had been spacing out for about thirty minutes with a depressed glow in her face.

She heard the door opened.

If the ones who caught her in the position didn't know better, they would assume that she was committing suicide.

But fortunately, the person knew her quite well, given that they had been together for six months.

"Do you commit suicide?" he blurted.

And she thought he knows her well.

"I think so, Itachi-san. So can you help me do this hara-kiri?" replied her sarcastically.

He smirked. "Just kidding."

"An Uchiha actually KNOWS jokes? Oh man, I don't know that!" sneered Sakura.

"Don't give me a cheek, blossom. What do you want with the scissors?" he asked.

"A cheek? Don't you want something more?" flirted Sakura, just for teasing. She licked her lips sensually. Completely oblivious that the man she talked to actually HAD hormones.

"…" he turned to leave… to the bathroom.

"Sorry, sorry. I don't mean to make you angry. I know you don't want…" she trailed off.

_No, sweetheart. It's the opposite that matters, actually._

"I just want to cut my hair, that's all." Sakura sighed. "But I don't think it'll be good if I do it myself. Perhaps I'll ask Deidara…"

"I'll help you." Itachi cut her short.

"Really? You can…"

"Don't underestimate me, blossom. I can do anything you ditch out."

She smiled. Finally gave over the fate of her hair to the Uchiha. If it turned out bad, she thought, she just had to grow it again. Not that she cared that much about her hair, actually.

But the _thing _was if he would like her in this hairstyle.

SMACK!

"**DON'T add your own text in the story!" **outer Sakura roared inwardly to the abused inner Sakura.

He smoothed the silky hair of hers, feeling them in between his long, slender fingers. He took the scissors and began to cut skilfully.

On the other hand, Sakura closed her eyes. Secretly enjoying the feeling of warm hands touching her neck and hair.

"Done." Itachi said suddenly, snapping Sakura out of the bliss.

"Thank you…" she whispered in awe looking at the state of her hair now. He was right. He was soooo expert in cutting the hair.

It was really good. Even better than Tsunade's handy work. It was clean and neat. Just the way she liked it.

"How about manicure and pedicure as the extras?" she grinned, teasing him. He smacked her head slowly in reply.

Sakura growled when his big warm hand fell to her head to ruffle her hair again.

"Hey! You were the one who makes it so good, and then you're the one who destroys this!" She yelled as he pinned her down, finally wrestling on the floor with her.

After the wrestling finished, (with the result of cracked cheekbone and blood from the nose and lips) Sakura permitted herself to the bathroom. She always liked a long nice shower after having her hair cut.

On the other hand, Itachi's mind wandered off. He liked her, yes. He knew that he falls in lust with her. But love?

Did he love her?

…he didn't know.

And most importantly, did she love him?

…he didn't know either. Although he was _dying _to know.

The Uchiha usually said everything, EVERYTHING in his mind. If he wanted something, he just came and _asked_. Like he did when he had came to Naruto for the Jinchuuriki.

But why he couldn't say something to her? Something, _anything_.

Could it be he loved her so much that he was afraid to lose her when he confessed?

Or he simply wanted to enjoy the game?

Oh yeah, _the game_.

It had been two weeks since Genma's death. Sakura had forced herself to smile, to laugh, to act naturally. If it wasn't Itachi's sharp eyes, no one would know she was pretending.

And hell, the way she went through the death of her villagers was incredibly… bad.

Sakura started flirting with him shamelessly. And he KNEW that she wasn't for any purpose but to joke with him and forget the soul she had taken herself. She didn't think that the flirts would affect him in any way, considering the man was a cold, emotionless person called Uchiha Itachi.

The thing was Sakura was completely oblivious that the man she was flirting with was actually a MAN.

A _real _man.

A normal twenty-one years old man who had overriding hormones and manly urges.

And normally, when she was flirting with him shamelessly, either visually or verbally, normal things for the normal man happened.

Damn, damn bloody damn!

But it was no use to curse now, was it?

So he spent the time to make a mental picture of Sakura bathing.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Alright, Itachi was OOC. But men are men… alright? No matter how cool they are, men are still men.

P.S. Send me Postcard! Email me! PM me to get my address!

P.S.S. I still haven't receive a single postcard from you!

P.S.S.S. I'm desperate for staaaampssss!

P.S.S.S.S. Sorry for making Genma dies

Thanks,  
£exy The Thief


	7. I love you

I'm sorry for the long long long delay… long long long update…

Really really sorry.

But…

Aaah!

I failed my ESL!

It's a goddamn D!

…

Anyway, for the loyal readers, I really love you, and you must thank God I wasn't killed by my parents.

Alright.

This is an unbetaed version. I want to beta it first, but I feel guilty because I haven't update this story for a long time.

Standard Disclaimer Applied

Enjoy!

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 6: It's (not) easy to say 'I Love You'**

He had decided to tell her. It was for his own good; yet perhaps for hers as well. With this, he hoped finally the tension and flip-flops in his stomach would finally stop. It grew alarmingly often and he couldn't properly eat because of the constant flipping of his stomach.

Unlike girls, men couldn't be attracted to a girl without thinking about sex. And after she came into his life, it was uncomfortable to walk around with a constant 'hard' on.

And maybe, just maybe, saying it to her would bring him some relieve.

It wasn't because he was Uchiha, no.

It was more because he was Itachi.

And Uchiha ITACHI would do what he wants to do.

And he WOULDN'T regret it.

She better accepted him, because he would do anything, _anything _to keep her at his side.

Now, he was sure he loved Sakura. Or at least, infatuated. Obsessed.

He just realized it in the last two weeks. Three days in the beginning of the week, Sakura had fallen ill because she never bothered to heal herself, and getting the infection from the wounds. Silly girl. Stubborn girl. He kept telling himself that.

And then why did he being so out of his character? He guarded her day and night, refused to leave her side, fed her patiently, and checked her temperature like every five minutes.

Geez, he felt like a lapdog.

But the worse thing that he made himself to a lapdog. In fact, Sakura had repeatedly said and protested that she can handle herself just fine, that she was a medical nin, and that she just needed rest for few days to heal herself. But Itachi had been magically deaf to all of her sentences at that time.

After she was finally healed, he had found her kissed him thank you on the cheek, and found himself had to concentrate _walking _so he wouldn't tripped on his own feet.

He had acted so awkward and he had to remind himself what to do when he was eating. _Put the chopsticks between the fingers. Pick the foods. Put the foods to your mouth. Get the chopsticks out to your mouth. Grind the food between your teeth. Swallow. Pick the foods. _And so on.

Uchiha Itachi (mark that name: Uchiha Itachi), the Uchiha prodigy, well known as a heartless person who had killed his entire clan, made his own brother lives in pitiful life, had to concentrate in simple acts such as _walking _and _eating _because of a pink-haired kunoichi who was five years younger than himself.

He felt like he was at the beginning of puberty again when he found himself waking up and made a mess on the bed. _Geez, _if only that particular girl was willing to 'relieve' him.

In fact, he felt like a teenage boy with his first crush when he wished she would confess her undying love for him and dream of him every night.

But thanks to whatever Deity who made Sakura was so utterly innocent and dense so he could ogle at her whenever he wants in _any _and _every _way.

Or better, groped her when she didn't realize she was groped. Like when they were doing a little struggling and training together…

Sometimes he wondered why she was so dense. His newfound attraction towards the particular blossom was really really obvious. As obvious as the constant 'hard on' he had been sporting around her (thanks for the Akatsuki cloak) and don't ask how big and grown up his 'little brother' was.

And the way she dressed didn't help either. The way she dressed in the mission and at home was totally different. In their missions, she wore a baggy Akatsuki cloak and a hood, and he liked it that way. At least, he could imagine she has fat ass curve less body, her boobs are like a triplex, and she had a bushy and wiry hair.

Yet at lair, she wore hot pants, fish-net top with just a black bra inside. Her outfits left very little to imagination.

To suppress his attraction, he usually imagined that she has a banjo-like body, but when the girl was at his side, it was Spain-guitar-like body.

And surely, the fact that she was constantly snuggling to him didn't help.

At all.

He loved her hair, so smooth between his fingers when he ran his hand through the locks. He loved her body, so small and sexy and perfect in his hold. He loved her hands, so small and fit perfectly into his, easily manipulated in his when they were painting each other's nails black.

And it was difficult because he was with her 24/7. If only it was just her body. No. Her attitude was flawless in EVERY way. She was innocent, funny, strong, nice, kind, smart, and able to engage him in an interesting conversation.

How could he hate her?

Sure he knew that she wasn't totally honest with him. But it wasn't like she ever lied to him. She just didn't say it to him. And it was perfectly normal to have some things that couldn't be told to anyone. Including him.

Especially him.

He knew that she didn't trust him completely just yet. Nonetheless, he was still the man that had made his own brother lives a hell life, he was still the traitor of the Konohagakure, and he was still the S-rank criminal that had made her beloved team mate suffering blindness.

He knew that.

And with that precaution, the chance of his confession was slim. If you didn't want to say 'impossible'.

His thought snapped as he saw a kunai sped up to him.

STAB!

The kunai missed its target and was found stabbed to the cracked wall behind him.

He looked up to the girl before him.

"You've been spacing out for two hours straight, Itachi-san. I've been calling you more than twenty times, and you didn't respond," Sakura explained. "I was just making sure you're not dead."

Itachi scowled. "Everyone has the right to think something over. You've almost killed me."

"That's the point. You can be killed."

"…" _Would it be matter to her if I'm killed?_

"I don't want you to die," said Sakura, as if she could read his mind. The simple sentence of hers brought a leap of hope inside his chest.

"Itachi-san?" called Sakura, worry was evident in her voice. "What's wrong?"

"…"

Sakura sighed, and threw herself beside Itachi. "I can understand that you're not what we call talkative person," she began. "But you don't look quite yourself. If you have a problem, just tell me. If… if… you don't want to tell me…" she tailed off at his expression. "Just solve it. There must be a simple solution for all the problems."

"…" _Yeah, the solution is to shag you senseless, it's exactly that simple. Or not._

"Alright, alright." Itachi sighed. _Perhaps this is the right time, anyway. _"I'll tell you. Sakura."

He called her name with such intensity that it sent shivers down her spine. Not the usual pet name he gave her. Although she actually quite liking it. "Actually, I…"

_This is it. This is the moment. The point of no return._

"I…"

"Aaah! We're going to be late! We must do our mission now! Look at the time! Duh, I almost forget what my intention was, throwing that kunai to you. Itachi-san, tell me later, alright? Itachi… san?" she tailed off as Itachi looked like a living corpse.

"Itachi-san? Are you okay? I'm… sorry. Just tell me that later on, alright? Is that… such an important matter? Must I know now? Can't you… can't you postpone it?"

"It's… quite alright," he managed. "I'll… tell you later. It's… not that important."

He never felt so mortified and stupid in his entire life.

"Alright. Let's get ready."

He sighed and followed her out of the lair.

--------------------------------------------------

They were walking silently to the area they had been told to. Somehow, Sakura was so spacing out, perhaps because of the awkward silence between them.

_Perhaps this is the right time. Come on, Uchiha. Don't be a coward!_

"Sakura," he called out. She glanced at him, indicating him to continue.

"Well, actually, I…"

"Aaah!"

Sakura was tripped by a big root emerged from the soil. _Cut again_, he thought in dismay.

"Aww… sorry. What was it again?" She whimpered slightly as she reached out her hand to meet his.

As their hands met, unconsciously, their eyes stared each other in strange chemistry.

_Well, maybe this is it. A perfect moment._

"It was…" he stopped as a hard rain fell to the ground, interrupted him from whatever he wanted to say.

"…unimportant. Let's go." He pulled her up, and then in irritation, torched the trees with huge fireball, neglecting the rain.

_God must really hate me._

"Why… should you do that?" asked Sakura carefully, seeing the twitch in the Uchiha's forehead. She stared in awe to a half-burned tree, noting that the rain didn't seem to affect the fire at all.

"I'm pissed off," answered him simply.

"…Why?"

…_shit!_

"Because cowards always hide," he answered, relieved that he sensed unknown chakra nearby.

"Ahh… you're right. Although it's still confusing that you're pissed off by a thing as frequent as this…" She pulled out her katana, fished out few kunai from the holster inside her cloak.

_Now! Perhaps she's then attacking the enemies while thinking my words…_

"Okay, this is quick. I simply want to say that I…"

"Ne, ne, looks like you've discovered us, hasn't you?" A male's voice cut in, followed by some shadowy figure appeared around the Akatsuki pair, surrounding them.

Without words, Itachi and Sakura moved to kill them. In irritation, Itachi killed them quickly. In another minute, Sakura had finished her part.

"You know, Itachi-san? Even for your standard, it was a really cruel slaughter." Sakura approached him.

Itachi turned to her, covered in blood. In spite of herself, Sakura thought that he was really handsome in that form, it was reminding her of the God of Death.

He was really a replica for God of Death.

But this God of Death could actually love.

"Sakura." The voice always had the same effect to her. It was sensual and dark, sending tingle down her spine. Matched with a pair of blood-red Sharingan.

_I must be crazy. I shouldn't feel this way to him. It's nothing. It's just… he's like a replica of Sasuke. That's why._

"Sakura, I love you."

The rain still washed them, now beating even harder.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

P.S. Send me Postcard! Email me! PM me to get my address!

P.S.S. I still haven't received a single postcard from you!

P.S.S.S. I'm desperate for staaaampssss!

Thanks,  
£exy The Thief


	8. One Side Love

Well, here's come the new chapter!

Standard Disclaimer Applied

Enjoy!!!

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 7: One Side Love**

_There is more to love_

_So much more_

_Than simply making love_

_That's easy_

This wasn't exactly the way he plans to confess.

Perhaps he wasn't a romantic person, but he knew better than confessing under the rain while their bodies were washed with blood. A crackling sound from a burnt tree was heard.

A lightning thundered to the torched tree. Burning it even more. Fire was dancing between the rain. Just like the fire in the ruby eyes did. Hot but cold. Freezing yet melting.

Unknown to Sakura, behind the eyes of fire, so many emotions were there. Anxiety, love, fear, rejection, self-control, hope…

"Itachi… san?" she stammered. She didn't know whether to believe her ears or not. She must be imagining things. It just… didn't make sense. It wasn't logical.

Was she logical, after all?

She stared back at the burning gaze, the burning gaze that asked for an answer.

Yes or no. As simple as that.

Or not.

"I'm… I'm sorry. I think I suffered delusions," said Sakura. It just couldn't be. He was Uchiha Itachi, for god's sake! She never heard _anything _near the 'L' word from him.

"No, you're not," said Itachi, grabbing her arm. "You heard me right. I said: I love you."

She felt quite faint all of sudden. His words, his eyes, his touch… Her heartbeat came to frenzy that she amazed her veins didn't break.

Yet somehow, she regained her composure.

"Err… thank… you, I think. I… am flattered," she stammered.

"I… I love you too." Itachi's heart should be leaped up with joy, if only he didn't see the painful look Sakura giving him.

He knew, whatever she was going to say, it won't be sweet. It won't be the one he desired.

"But… not that way. I… I really like you. But… I'm confused. I'm not sure whether I love you that way or not. It's… difficult. You just don't understand." She stared at his ruby-eyes, mesmerized. Those eyes always had the same effect on her. Yet now it was different. With him staring her intently, hopefully.

_Gazing into eyes_

_Pretty eyes_

_Which could be any eyes_

_That's crazy_

"…Let's go home." After a long intense silence, he finally cracked his mouth. It was painful. It would be better if she went straight ahead saying that she had no feelings for him whatsoever than leaping his hope like that.

It hurt.

And yet, he still reached out his hand to her. She still received the offering hand. It was large and warm and comforting, never failed to make her heart skipped a beat. Yet…

Was it because he's Itachi, or was it because he's Uchiha?

_Hands are just hands_

_A face is just a face_

_They come and go_

_They're easy to replace_

After this, the rain would stop. So did the storm, the thunder, the fire. But… they were both not sure if the chaos in their hearts and minds would stop as soon.

_There is more to love_

_So much more_

_Than moon-struck escapades_

_That's nothing_

How about Sasuke?

Sasuke was still the largest obstacle in their relationship. Sasuke was the reason she couldn't sort out her mind in place. She wasn't sure if she was in love with Sasuke or Itachi due to their likeness.

Why were they had to be alike?

Until now, Sakura very much regretted and cursed that fact.

_Everyone but him_

_Seems wrong for me_

But she was Haruno Sakura. She wasn't going to have this unsolved. She would sort out her feelings. She had to know her own feelings.

Until then…

She stared at his face. Honestly, even though the face is murderous, she couldn't help thinking that it was effeminate.

She smiled.

_Everytime I feel there has to be more…_

_So much more to love…_

Let things happened as they should happened.

--------------------------------------------------

Itachi stared off blankly at the four lone white walls in his own room. His room was dim, his sharingan was off.

He never felt so mortified in life.

She was his first love.

His confession had been his first time confessing his feelings truthfully.

And the result?

She had turned him _down_. No, fuck. She let him hanging up. It would have been better if she just said 'no'.

"_I don't know whether I like you or not."_

What was that means, anyway? How could she not know what she was feeling? It was her own feelings, for fuck's sake.

She had said she was confused of her feelings right now. That she wasn't sure. It brought him hopes. Yet all the time he knew that they might just be empty hopes.

He should have known that would be her answer, shouldn't he? She had said the word from the first day she joined him.

"_Let's make one thing clear first. I hate you."_

He felt so painfully and utterly stupid for even a second, have a stupid silly hope inside his chest. He cursed himself. Why did he have to fall in love? Whoever said that love is beautiful should be ripped off to painful death.

"_I hate you."_

The first message she had given him was clear, wasn't it? How could he forget? How could Uchiha Itachi forget?

"_I hate you."_

He shouldn't have hoped at all. He shouldn't have talked at all. It was better to keep it low and down. At least they would stay friends. At least they would stay all easy and joking and laughing. A moment flashed back across his eyes.

"_Wow! You can be a great manicurist, Itachi-san! Too bad they only have this colour. I wonder if I could get away if I wear the pink one. I have a spare of nail polishes in my bag!" she grinned at her wet nails._

Those peaceful and happy days… for what reason did he exchange them for the sake of his love? Everything was disintegrating between them. It would all be tense and awkward after this. Stupid, stupid love fool.

He felt like crying. But he wasn't going to. He wouldn't cry. Even though his throat was already tight and tense.

Uchiha Itachi.

Wouldn't.

Fucking.

Cry.

Not over a woman. Never. Not even over _her_.

No way.

A knock of his door distracted him from his thought.

"Itachi-san…" her soft feminine voice called.

"…"

"Itachi-san, I understand if you don't want to face me at all. I'll… I'll just talk this way."

"…"

"Itachi-san, I… I already felt something for you. I really love you. I wouldn't want you to die, to be in pain at all. But… I still have several thoughts jumbled up. And I'm going to sort them out."

"…"

"Itachi-san, I don't know whether I love you that way or not…"

"…"

"But…"

"…?"

"When I know if I love you, I'll let you know."

The tightness in his throat gone. His eyes gleamed slightly with secret joy and hope.

"Itachi-san? I hope this thing won't ruin the relationship we have gone through this year. I'm still your friend, can't you see? I'll treat you the way I treated you the days before."

In the other side of the door, she was fiddling her black-manicured hand nervously. She couldn't even believe she had the gut to say that.

"Uh… Itachi-san? That was all I wanted to say. Err… sweet dreams!"

He remembered a thing she said the first day she joined Akatsuki. Maybe it was true, after all.

"_Events will resolve themselves in spite of come what may."_

For now, he would let it this way. She promised, he held on to her promises.

Perhaps… it wouldn't be too bad.

He just had to believe it.

--------------------------------------------------

Sakura felt like slamming her overly large forehead against the wall with all her might. Why didn't the huge forehead come in handy when she needed it?

"Kami, what has gotten to me this time?" she sighed, resting her head against her pillow tiredly. I had been a stressful night.

She should have guessed.

After all, he wasn't the only one who had that kind of feelings. The same happened to the other side. It had been confusing and torturing for Sakura too.

If only he knew that he haunted her dream constantly, perhaps he wouldn't be sulking around right now.

Being a character in Naruto comic wouldn't be easy.

…

No. No. Scratch that. She would make it easy.

She reached for a picture of Sasuke, framed in a heart-shaped photo frame from her desk. She ran her hand through her hair exasperatedly.

"I wish I can meet you, see you, Sasuke-kun… I really, really want to meet you. And when I'm standing in front of you… I think I'll know who the man in my heart is..." she paused.

"I've never thought that loving someone could be this dilemma…" she sighed for a thousandth time after the confession.

She felt really bad about the Uchiha beside her room. It had been a magic that nothing else was crashed but the burnt tree. If someone let her hanging like that, a huge, enormous hole would be left in some places.

Not to mention his head, too.

She closed her eyes, trying to sleep. And she really, really hoped that it would be a dreamless sleep.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

I really, really hope none of you would send a virus to me…

I'm sorry!

But, plz review, anyway!

Thanks,  
£exy The Thief


	9. Bitter Realization

Standard Disclaimer Applied

I'm terribly sorry for the long gap for an update.

Enjoy!

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 8: Bitter Realization**

It had been a week since Itachi had confessed to her. She had been trying her best to act like nothing out of ordinary had happened between them. It was pretty good, actually. The moments between them weren't changed as they had expected firstly.

Well, in all honesty, it wasn't that good.

Every now and then, there was awkwardness around them. After the confession, Sakura felt self-conscious about herself. She rarely joked with him again, especially the flirting jokes. Their conversations were also somewhat stilted and awkward.

It hurt her very much to see him refusing to look at her in the eyes.

Not that she'd admit it out loud.

As a matter of fact, she was filled with guilt and remorse of what she had done. In that state, Sakura did anything that can make him in a better mood.

For example: When they had done a mission earlier than necessary, she had gone out with Henge no jutsu and shopping for _several_ foods ingredients. And when he had done training (after his confession, they rarely trained together, just once in a while), he had been surprised by a table full of delicious foods, and most of them had been his favourite.

Still, it wasn't _that _smart of a way to say 'I'm sorry'. It wasn't enough to make them all close and joking and happy.

It didn't help much in making the situation more comfortable.

But at least, as the result, he began to look at her in the eyes when he was talking to her. So it wasn't completely useless.

After seeing the result, she tried and tried and tried until he had not that much of a dark aura surrounding him. It had been so thick it had almost choked her to death.

In fact, she often joked with him now.

Well, non-physical way, that was. She didn't want to give him false hope, but didn't want him to draw away from her either.

Now that she thought about it, she felt dirty and selfish. But human have needs. Human were _all _greedy.

So right now, she felt like forgetting the phrase: "If you want to catch two rabbits, you won't get any."

But not that she wanted _both _of the rabbits. She wanted one, but she was confused which one she had to go to catch.

--------------------------------------------------

"We're going to the Rock Country," stated Sakura. "There's a prince we need to rob from his bunch and bunch of wealth. I won't mind if you kill him, he's such a cruel prince, anyway. That country would be better without…"

He listened to her speech and ranting words per words. Typical Sakura. Even if she killed, it would be for the others' own good. Except if the killing is the mission.

"…pretty tough country, though. I'm sure we would be injured there. Eat those foods until the last piece, would you? You'll need your strength."

He huffed inaudibly. She cared much about him, but never about herself. Now to think about it, it was positive signal. 'Sakura', 'cares', and 'Itachi' would make a wonderful sentence (for himself, of course). Yet, he could feel she was grieving after something. She excused herself from the foods, and rarely had her own wounds healed. She grew visibly paler and a constant tired looks were seen in her face.

It was a wishful thinking, but… he had a feeling that it had started after his disastrous confession. He smiled inwardly. Perhaps it wasn't that disastrous after all.

"You should eat, too," said Itachi.

"I'm in my—," she protested, yet Itachi cut her off.

"Eat. You're not eating, I also won't. And anyway, you look like a poor Ethiopia child within fasting month." (Sorry if any there's any Ethiopia readers read it. No offence at all.)

"SAY WHAT???"

--------------------------------------------------

"Ne, Itachi-san."

"Hn?" He grunted, and a pleasant shiver went through his spine when her warm breath blew over his ear.

"I often wonder how come we need to hunt and picking fruits when every time we rob something from someone, it can feed seven generations. Don't you feel strange?"

"Hn…" responded him.

"As a genius, your vocabulary is sure limited, Itachi-san." She huffed in annoyance. Being brought like this also added her irritation to the Uchiha prodigy.

"I'm not feeling like arguing now," growled Itachi. "After all, this is all your fault. See how not eating regularly do to your body? You hardly eat these two months. And even if _you _did, it was just bits and pieces of my leftover. You're a medic-nin, for fuck's sake! You should know these things better than anyone! You're pale and thin. You're already small, so don't give me that 'I'm in my diet' shit!"

"…"

"You—"

"…Sorry, Itachi-san." He fell silent. He could feel her sincerity from her apology. He sighed in defeat.

"I really am sorry."

"Why?" He suddenly demanded.

"…I… didn't make it very well in the mission. I should've known—that—"

"No, it's not that. Why don't you eat as usual? You've never acted like that before, except few days after you killed that Genma guy."

She was thankful that she was draped on his back. If he wasn't bringing her on his back, he might have looked the heated blush in her face. But maybe he felt it, anyway. Heat was spreading from her cheek like lava.

And the fact that she had her arms around his neck didn't help either.

And yet, she decided to be honest. She had been told by her mother not to lie except it's important, and she held on to it. Save for the mission, of course.

"I… Actually, I…" She stopped. Her pulse pounded so fast and hard inside her chest because of her nervousness, and suddenly she felt nausea washed over her.

"…?"

She was unable to continue her sentence. Her head felt heavy yet light. Her vision blurred, and her breathing grew harsher and more frequent.

"Sakura…?"

No answer.

"Sakura, what happened?" he asked anxiously, his tone changed. His agitation was raised when he felt her harsh breath on his cheek. Even more so when he felt her cheek heated up against his.

"Shit!" He ran as fast as he could to their lair. As he got there, he laid her on a couch, checking her temperature, and then went to their small kitchen to take a washcloth and wet the washcloth with cold water.

Carefully, he placed the wet washcloth on her forehead. Then, he went to the kitchen again to bring her a glass of warm water.

She moaned in delight as the water hit her dry throat. She still felt weak and feverish, and suddenly felt rather stupid.

No matter how Sasuke had made her blush, she had never fallen from nausea in front of him. She was no Hyuuga Hinata. She had never, ever been fainting before a guy.

Well, she hadn't exactly faint, she just felt very weak and unable to speak, let alone move. But still, it had been because of _him_.

_Had I fallen over him THAT much?_

"Feeling better?" His deep voice snapped her out of her train of thoughts.

"Yeah…" croaked Sakura.

"You needed rest," told Itachi firmly. "Go to your room."

"…Can you take me there, Itachi-kun?" asked her, still half conscious.

_Itachi-kun?_

Wow.

Knowing that she couldn't see him, he smiled. Wide. Very wide. Rivalling the width of the entrance door.

Obliging her, he picked her up bridal style. He didn't want to swing her on his back, afraid that her headache would be worse. Then he brought her to her room.

It was the first time Itachi went to her room. She had alerted him sternly not to enter unless she's allowing him.

And now that she _did _allow him, he was going to take the advantage to his fullest to know about the kunoichi in his arms.

Her room was not that girly. It was clean, immaculate, and somehow very… _Sakura_. Despite her brutality in the battlefield, there was something feminine about the room. A vase filled of wild flowers was placed on a small table beside her bed.

Carefully, he laid her on her bed. Then, his large hands were soothing her to a deep slumber.

For a while, he watched her snoozing softly, and then averted his gaze to her room.

He picked up a photo frame on her table, examining it. Ah, team photo. That Kakashi, Naruto, and… Sasuke?

She had never told him that his little brother was a team with her. Shrugging it off, he picked up the next photo frame.

To his surprise, it showed her and himself, posing together in front of their hiding place. She had nearly pulled all of his muscles and bones to have him taking a photo with her. He wasn't exactly scowling in that photo, unlike his younger brother, yet, it wasn't exactly ecstatic expression.

He hadn't liked her at that time, after all. Lust after her, yes.

He picked the last one.

A steel band suddenly gripped his heart.

Sasuke.

It was Sasuke. That was why she couldn't answer him.

"_I'm sorry, Itachi. I… can't. You could never understand."_

A photo of a scowling Sasuke was held in his hand; probably that pink-haired kunoichi had forced him too.

"_Please, give me some time. I can't answer you right now. I can't promise to love you right now. It would be too painful."_

The picture of his brother's head was framed with heart-shaped pink lipstick.

"_I'm sorry I have been a disappointment to you."_

She had loved his little brother. Perhaps she still was. The love at the first sight to the Sharingan she had told him about was because of Sasuke. Not him.

"_And I'm sorry I could tell you nothing about it."_

It was about Sasuke. He was sure of that.

That was why she hadn't told him _why_ she couldn't answer.

She was kind, nice, and didn't want to hurt others. Even _him_. She must have known that he had killed his entire own clan. She must have known how it had hurt his little brother, whom he had left in hatred and desire to revenge. She must have known that it was _his _fault that his little brother hadn't returned her love in a proper way.

Yet, she hadn't wanted to hurt him.

Yet, the bitter realization hurt him more than ever.

He was so deep in his thought, that he didn't notice an 'Itachi-kun' murmured from Sakura's lips.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Reviews would be highly appreciated.

Thanks,  
£exy The Thief


	10. Rampage

Standard Disclaimer Applied

About the ones who are confused about how come Itachi doesn't know that Sakura was in the same team as Sasuke, Itachi only knew Sasuke was in a team with Naruto, and then Naruto with Sakura later on. Sai is also a replacement of Sasuke, thus, I made Itachi assumed that Sakura was also a replacement. The member of the team changed by time.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 9: Rampage**

_Close your eyes_

_For your eyes will only tell the truth_

_And the truth isn't what you want to see_

_In the dark it is easy to pretend_

_But the truth is what it ought to be_

(The Music of the Night, Phantom of the Opera)

--------------------------------------------------

Devastated was an underestimation for the Uchiha.

How can she have _NOT _told him? He would have been understood.

Yet he knew it was a lie…

He knew if she had told him, he would throw one hell of a tantrum to her.

"_You know, even though I said I can't accept you now, I have found many qualities in you to like."_

She had said she had a liking for him. He even had thought she might… oh God.

So it was his goddamn brother all along?

Many had told him that they were alike one another, but… his pride didn't allow him to feel like a… like just a substitution.

He would not be used. True, she hadn't used him. True, now he could understand why she hadn't accepted his love. For his sake…

He knew, mostly from her expression, she had been as tortured as he had. From her attitude and the frighteningly increasing frequency of her dazed state, he had known that she was thinking. About him and… his so-called brother.

In his life, he had been regarded more than his brother. He had got more attention from his late parents, from the village, from ANBU, from Akatsuki, from his family, from his little brother. Until now.

He felt he could live without those regards, respect, and fear. It was… not quite an unwanted attention, but he didn't give a shit about that.

He didn't care how many people wanted him dead, or wanted him as a weapon, as a trophy, he didn't give a damn about that.

Yet, the only person he wanted the attention, care, and love most… turned out to give all of them to his brother. Damn it. Damn it all.

"_If I do accept you now… I will only end up breaking our hearts. I wouldn't be fair for either of us."_

He shouldn't have opened his _stupid _mouth, so he wouldn't hurt his _stupid _heart, especially by a stupid, stupid, _stupid _Haruno.

He should have just given in to his lust. No heart involved. No strings attached. Passion is fine. Lust is safe. But… love?

He just regretted that _this _time, he could not have one without the other.

Itachi was no virgin boy. He had bedded many, many women. Sexy, pretty woman. Even prettier and sexier than his female partner.

But no one of them had made him _feel_. No one of them had been able to make him _wait _until it's time to do so. He just _took_. No feelings involved.

And now, the thought of his brother _cuddling_ to a woman he hadn't even plundered yet made him sick to his stomach.

He had known passion. Passion was normal. It was a carnal, animalistic response when meeting an attractive thing. The passion would call to him when he found it, like she had called to him, but passion was no love.

At least not at that time. That time, there had been no love whatsoever.

Love was no sweet and gentle feeling like he had thought before. It was scorching hot, twisting and turning, making him ache with lust and then tenderness. But still the love remained.

He should let this madness go. He would pass this… this _feeling_.

He was no fool who thinks: "Feeling is for the weak." In his life, he had seen many, many great things are actually from feelings. People was able to kill, sacrifice, build, hurt, die, war, and many other things only for the sake of _feeling_. It seemed to make people stronger.

He had never felt before, so he hadn't been paying so much attention. He had thought: if I can feel, good. If I can't feel, so be it. Don't care much about it.

But he had had no idea it would _hurt _this much.

If he had known, he would have avoided feelings with all his might. It _hurt._

_It fucking goddamn hurt._

--------------------------------------------------

He was gone to a place she couldn't reach, she thought.

His attitude was cold as ever, but there was something; _something _that she couldn't even name that drew him away from her.

Oh god, had she been too whiny last night? Too weak? Too reckless? Had something… something in her made him feel disgusted and then he had decided that she didn't deserve him?

He… couldn't possibly didn't love her anymore, could he?

But apparently, he made every gesture that it was more than possible.

The thought alone made her feel an unbearable loneliness from within her heart.

She never felt more vulnerable and frightened in her life. Ever. The pain caught her more off guard than she had expected.

He didn't want to look at her. Did the sight of her disgust him so that he didn't want to see her again? That she wasn't worthy enough for his powerful sharingan to see?

She should have guard herself against the pain when she had rejected him that fateful night. She'd had seen a chance something like this would've happened. She should have prepared. And she had. She really had.

Yet she had no idea how… strong the pain would be. How the pain blistering, melting her defences and struck her _so_. She… missed him. No, she… loved him.

But how could a woman love two men? It sounded ridiculous even to her own thought. It was… unfair and stupid and inconsiderate and selfish and many other negative things she could run in her head and more.

Gosh, she was _so _stupid. Ninja had no time for these feelings. Akatsuki likewise. Feelings might be allowed, but feelings should not rule over her.

She was just suck in romance. She just had to admit it.

But first, she would sort out her feelings, find out who she actually liked, and being honest to herself. She was tired of deceiving herself.

She hadn't wanted to love him, but she didn't regret any of it.

If it turned out that she loved him, and he still loved her, and then they could belong to each other. There were many kinds of love, and they would have the best of it. They could have the laughter and lust and understanding…

She closed her eyes.

_It is a nice dream, isn't it?_

Inner Sakura answered.

_**It sure is.**_

_Do you think… that he would still… after all these…?_

_**No. Yes. Urgh…! I don't know.**_

_Great._

She opened her eyes again.

_But still, I'm a ninja. I won't regret it. It's a risk I have to take. It's a risk I WILL take._

If it turned out he didn't anymore… she still wouldn't regret it.

Any of it.

But how if it turned out that _she _couldn't love him like she wanted to after all?

--------------------------------------------------

"_You are not to kill Naruto. You are not to kill Konoha."_

He couldn't face it anymore. Seconds by seconds, he hated Konoha even more. It corrupted her heart, had made her reject him, robbing her love that supposed to be _his_.

He hated his younger brother, Naruto, and her _stupid _loyalty to them as much as her _idiotic _faithfulness to her village.

His consciousness and sanity were scarred beyond repair. Cuts upon cuts upon cuts. He had sunken his overrated dignity and pride for nothing because of that dull village.

His well-trained self control snapped.

_Konoha, _he thought grimly.

He would slaughter Konoha.

--------------------------------------------------

A blink.

Blood spattered.

Corpses covered the ground, painting the soil with red.

Scream.

Another splatter of blood.

He gazed at the bunch of ninjas coldly, swishing his katana so furiously that it couldn't be seen by normally trained eyes.

This doomed village was one of the reason she couldn't love him, he thought furiously. Because her love for him was a betrayal to Konoha.

_Betrayal._

Humph. Betrayal. She had already betrayed the Konoha, after all. She joined the Akatsuki by her own will. Even though she had done it for Konoha's good, it didn't matter. It only proved that she didn't believe in her own village. And her teammate.

And himself.

He gritted his teeth tightly.

That fucking two-faced bitch.

How could she have been giving him hopes while she had harboured feelings to his brother? My _God_.

And this whole killing thing, for awhile, was giving him something to think about. A thing to avert his brain from his pink-haired partner.

And yet, it was the most foolish thing for him to do.

How can killing the people from her most beloved village helped him forget her, or less, helped him to get her heart?

He was a _fucking foolish _prodigy. Such irony.

He glared at the bunch of back-up ninjas. Humph. Fools. They came willingly to death.

A second later, all of them were beheaded.

His eyes narrowed when he saw a familiar figure. Copy Ninja Kakashi.

So, he had survived, huh? But his level of charka was depleted drastically. So did his level of fighting.

Itachi readied himself to launch an attack, when he found himself pulled with unnaturally amazing force. And the next time he knew, he stood in the forest in quite a distance with Konoha. Alone.

--------------------------------------------------

Sakura was worried when she couldn't find him anywhere in their hideout. She had decided to confront him right in the face, and yet she hadn't found him anywhere.

Kitchen, bedroom, living room.

Itachi was not found.

Akatsuki cave.

Itachi was not found.

Nearby minor villages.

Itachi was not found

Where did he go? She thought with utmost frustration. Did the sight of her disgust him so much that he just _has _to disappear? Her throat tightened uncomfortably at that thought.

Oh well, if he felt that strongly against her… She would move out. _Fuck _the hurt. _Fuck _the love. _Fuck _the risk. She knew that if she quit from Akatsuki, she would be the target of both Konoha _and _Akatsuki. But she had been the one who brought the trouble. It was only fair that she would be the one who received the end of the deal.

No, she hadn't been the one who brought the trouble. _She _was the trouble. She got it. She would remove herself from the equation if that was what he wants.

She really hoped he didn't want to.

She came back hopelessly to the hideout.

Restless, she decided to stretch some muscles and headed to their training ground. When she arrived, her eyes instantly narrowed.

In the part of the forest they used to train, there were some new damages that hadn't been there yesterday. Nay, not damages. The Uchiha prodigy had been obviously furious. The training ground turned chaotic.

She sighed. Itachi was obviously angry with her, for whatever reason she didn't know.

He would come back, she assured herself. He would come back here.

She decided to clean her room first, and then started searching for Itachi again.

There's something wrong with her table, she frowned. She had the hygiene and neat fetish. Thus, even five centimetres dislocation could bother her. The photo frames were obviously not in their former places, nor were their positions the same.

Cold sweat was trickling down her body. Her stomach twisted painfully, and suddenly she knew what made him so angry.

He had seen Sasuke's photo.

And in the same time, Sakura got a feeling she knew where Itachi was.

_Konohagakure._

--------------------------------------------------

He had been slaughtering her village, she realized with painful knot in her stomach. As soon as she traded her position with his with her newly developed jutsu, she was washed with blood immediately. Staining her face, hair, and cloak.

The knot in her stomach tightened when she saw who was watching her.

Kakashi-sensei.

His eyes were wide in disbelief, his body were trembling. Whether from anger or other cause, she couldn't tell. But he _definitely _had no idea that his formerly female student became an Akatsuki.

She was outwardly calm, her expression impassive. Just when she thought she couldn't feel anything anymore, the feelings of guilt and compassion gripped her strongly like a tree trunk.

Giving her beloved former sensei one last look, she disappeared.

Konoha now knew about her betrayal. She would be classified as an S-rated criminal.

Reappearing in front of Itachi, her body shook with anger and sadness and guilt and many other emotions that made her confused as hell.

"Why?" he asked her flatly. "Why did you trade place with me?"

Silence. She stared—no, glared back at him with unreadable eyes.

"Why? I know you don't care. So just don't pretend and giving me hopes in your plan of bringing me down to…" his voice broke when her fist flew to a tree, missing an inch from the edge of his face.

The huge tree trunk crackled loudly, and then fell down to ground noisily.

"If I catch you doing _that _again…" she hissed, her voice wobbling from betrayal and anger. "I'll kill you."

He would give anything, _everything _not to see that face pointed at him again. It was filled with anger and hatred and disgust…

She hated him. Any chance of having her was gone when he betrayed her trust.

"Go," she said, her voice was so tender it was almost heartbreaking. "I… can't see you now. I'll go back later on."

Wordless, he turned his back against her, and then disappear with a poof. He knew that his action was inexcusable. That he deserved every anger and hatred she felt against him.

He could only hope that she would forgive him. She had a tender heart, despite being an Akatsuki. She wouldn't be angry with him for a long time.

Or so he hoped.

He could only watch and see.

Watching Itachi's figure disappear, she turned her face to the opposite direction.

"How do you know we are here…?" she took several steps forward a figure she knew too well. The figure who filled thousands of hundreds dreams she had had. Her expression pained.

"…Sasuke…"

_Whisper my name, I'll come to you._

_Just for you._

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Hwahahaha… Evil climax and cliffhanger, eh? Just be patient, everyone. I'll update this story for sure. Only two or three chapters left!

P.S. Reviews make me update faster. The will of writing blazing high with reviews!

Conclusion: Review, everyone!

Thanks,  
£exy The Thief


	11. Blood and Pain

Thank you for all the prayer, I got in the most prestigious University in Indonesia!! (Whoo!!! --Doing happy-joy-joy dance--)

Erm, bad news. Since I got in THE University (still grinning like mad) the updates would be slower than usual.

...Yeah, like it could be any slower.

Standard Disclaimer Applied

Wow, I update, bitches! I update! This gotta be some miracle!

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 10: Blood and Pain**

It was foolish to trust her, but… Kakashi knew Sakura. Too much. He had stripped her personality bare that it was clear as an open book. It hadn't been difficult. Sakura was simple. She had never hidden anything, never had a dark past, loyal, understanding, fierce, bad-tempered, smart, easily pissed off, loving, determined…

She was an Akatsuki all along? Gods…

When had it started? He supposed that it was after she had been missing. She had never came back ever since. She couldn't be one when she was still here. Akatsuki wouldn't have permitted it. And she had practically been with Naruto, Kakashi, Yamato, Ino, and Sai practically 24 hours. No. Literally 24/7.

Why had she done that? Why had she gone to that measure? To ensure that Akatsuki wouldn't kill her if she remained the Jinchuuriki's friend? Was that it?

No, it wasn't possible. If she joined the Akatsuki with that motive, Konoha would kill her in return if they found out. She was too smart to not notice that.

Why? Because she couldn't stand the fact that her teacher was now half-cripple? Or her best friend was blind?

Her best friend was blind, it was dawned on him. Konoha's greatest ninjas were all unavailable to protect the village. Konoha was in chaos. Until she had gone.

She traded herself?

It was a possible explanation. He had been certain it had been Itachi who had killed half the village. When he had charged on him, suddenly he had been replaced by Sakura.

Who merely had stared at him, and then left without any explanation.

She had meant to protect Konoha. And from the look at it, Itachi had been mad as hell to Konoha for something. And then Sakura had been stopping him from doing much further damage.

Itachi? Mad?

He didn't know Itachi could feel anger.

Had his dear student roused the emotions within him?

He couldn't understand. But for the time being, he decided to trust her. He wouldn't report her to the Godaime. After all, he had been the only witness who had seen her. Other people only saw Itachi. Sakura had been there for just a flash, anyway.

He sighed audibly.

His former students could never go the easy way, could they?

--------------------------------------------------

_When I was a kid_

_I played on this street_

_I always loved illusion_

_I thought made-believe_

_Was truer than life_

_And now it's all confusion_

(Too Much in Love to Care, Sunset Boulevard)

--------------------------------------------------

"How, Sasuke-kun?" she repeated her question, seeing that he had given her no reply.

"I got my men," he replied simply. "If anyone were to ask, it should be me. Why are you with _him_?"

"I'm his partner in Akatsuki."

A brutal honesty. A pained look from the Uchiha.

_Please, can you tell me what's happening?_

_I just don't know anymore…_

_If this is real, how should I feel?_

_What should I look for?_

"You…? Akatsuki…?" Sasuke managed to find a flat voice somewhere. "That's…"

"…horrible. Unbelievable. Not what you had expected. I got it. I assume you're going to kill him?" Her voice shook with emotion. She loved Sasuke dearly. But the thought of life _without _Itachi, she couldn't live off.

"Of course I am. That was my dream since I was a child."

"…'Was'…? Past tense?" she asked, a glint of hope rose in her eyes.

"No. I still want to kill him."

A deafening silence filled the space between two former team-mates. Her throat constricted. She felt guilty as hell now that she met Sasuke face to face.

And the fact that she didn't love him anymore made her guilt swelled even larger. Especially that the man he had hated in all his lifetime was the one who held her heart.

Yes, she didn't love him anymore. When she had looked at him, she felt compassion, but no love. It was nothing compared what she felt for Itachi.

She felt Sasuke's chakra. He was quite capable of killing Itachi. He might be able to…

She gulped audibly in fright.

Fright of losing _him_.

"Don't." Her voice surprised even herself. She cringed inwardly. But it was too late now. "Don't kill him. I beg you."

"Oh…?" His tone was low, lazy and mocking. "And if I insist…?"

"You'd have to kill me first."

"You know I'd move heaven and earth to have his body dead at my hands."

Her lips thinned in anxiety. "I know," she said hoarsely. "But I also would move heaven and earth not to see him killed."

Dreadful silence. Slowly, hauntingly, dreadful comprehension dawned to him.

"My _God_, you _love _him, don't you?"

"Yes," she answered firmly, in spite of the tremble in her voice. "Yes, I do love him. As a friend. As a man."

He inhaled deeply to calm himself. It was too much to be taken in one scene. His love was in Akatsuki, and was in love with his hated brother.

He saw her face. There was a resolution there. She was serious about loving his brother. She would never joke about this. It also wasn't a stunt she pulled to make him jealous. He knew her too much to even contemplate the possibility.

She was never a manipulative person. Had never been good at lying. In real life or in battlefield, she always struck from the front.

"Promise me," she said carefully, "If you're losing a battle with me, don't kill him."

"…"

"What's the point of killing him, anyway? You won't get your family back if he's dead. All you'll end up with is a hollow soul, and blood-stained hands."

"Shut up." His voice was low and dangerous.

"I will. Just don't kill him."

"You know I can't do that."

"Why not? Somewhere along the way, the fate of a man can change. Look at Naruto. Even if he is blind now, he still doesn't give up being a Hokage."

"Naruto is blind?"

"…"

"Who did that?"

"…" She didn't have to answer, her face revealed all.

"Sweet Lord, it was him again, wasn't it? And you're telling me not to kill him?"

"I do. I do. Please, Sasuke-kun. I know it's completely absurd and irrational of me to ask you this. But if you're going back to Konoha right now, they also will act absurd and irrational. You're a missing Nin, a former student of Orochimaru, an enemy of Konoha, but still they'll be good to you."

"It's different," said Sasuke after a moment of silence.

"How is it different?"

"How can you fall in love with him?" he shot back.

"I don't know…" she shrugged, a guilty look rose in her face. "It's just… happened. Somewhere along the way… I fell in love with him. And I love him more than life itself."

"Things like that not 'just happen', Sakura."

Sasuke took a step forward, ready to pass Sakura. Sakura spread her hand to hold him from going.

Sasuke asked coolly. "You first?"

"Better me than Itachi."

And the explosion marked the start of their fight.

--------------------------------------------------

It was silly and stupid to engage him in a fight, Sakura thought. She knew from the start that she had no chance at winning. He might be as strong as Itachi now.

Sakura acted oblivious when she trained with Itachi. She knew he had been holding back the whole time, but if he was _that _strong when he had been holding back, she had no idea how he could be if he was unleashed.

But she had an ability to measure briefly the level of chakra. Theirs were so much greater than hers.

When she had fight with Hoshigaki Kisame, it had been purely luck to have beheaded him. He had almost won, and she had been down to her knees.

He had thought she had been dead already.

A brilliant opening.

Sakura shook her head to clear the memory from her head. It was silly of her to ask him in a fight, but it would be stupider if she let her mind wonder somewhere else when her neck was at the stake.

The luck with Kisame would not be repeated again with Sasuke. Not with his powerful sharingan. The sharingan was able to tell the chakra condition. If there was chakra, the person was NOT dead.

Damn it.

She could not playing possum this time. Not that it was her choice of winning. That trick was below her.

Why did she always have a problem with prodigies?

She was at a major disadvantage. With Kusanagi, Sasuke had much more area to hit at. And she only had her fists and her stupid kunais and shurikens.

That wouldn't work with Sasuke. But she tried, anyway. She filled her chakra into her shurikens.

He dodged it, and the poor trees received the shurikens and crushed to dusts. The same effect if it had been her fists.

Sasuke broke into sweat. He had considered receiving the attack and just struck right up at Sakura, thinking that it would only be small wounds and wouldn't affect him in the slightest.

Thank God he had changed his mind in the last moment.

The wood dusts had no effect at him whatsoever, Sakura cursed inwardly. Not with the sharingan.

Damn sharingan.

Suddenly, Sakura felt the dimension around her tightened.

_Fuck!_

She quickly moved away, but not quick enough.

"Aaaaahhh!"

Her blood splattered from the cuts all over her bodies.

She had dodged the worst effect the mangekyou sharingan could bring her, yet her wounds are pretty fatal. Not really lethal, but enough to make her immobile for a while

Before she could think past the pain, she felt a kick delivered to her stomach. The power of the kick sent her flying, and then slammed to the tree trunk.

In a daze, she felt the cold of the Kusanagi touched her side of her neck. She lifted her head, meeting his burning ruby eyes.

"You still don't change your mind? Sakura…"

"No. I don't want to watch him die when I'm alive to prevent that happens. I won't let him die just as I won't let you die."

"We can be together. You can fall in love with me again. Or someone else."

_Why him? Of all people in the world… why him? Answer me, damn it!_

"And I'll try my damnedest not to make it so. I've done that once, and it wasn't pleasant."

"…"

"…"

"…does he know?"

"What?"

"That you love him."

"…no."

"…"

"So I guess… this is… goodbye."

_I can't believe he's gone_

_I can't believe you're going_

_I can't believe this family must die…_

_Angel told us to believe in love_

_I can't believe you disagreed_

_I can't believe this is…_

_Goodbye_

His sword pressed to her neck, blood staining the Kusanagi as a little cut formed in her smooth skin.

She gave him one last look, and then closed her eyes, waiting for the gate of death to be opened.

But instead, a dull clunk of metal was heard.

"Wha…"

Sasuke dropped his sword, laughing softly. His expression was pained.

And then he lowered himself so he was face to face with her.

"You win," he said. "I can't kill you. I won't kill him… for now."

_Can one kiss—kiss away everything I planned?_

"Sasuke-kun—"

"Don't look at me like that. I don't like it."

_I should hate you. I should. But I can't._

A smile that couldn't quite reach her eyes crept up. "Sasuke-kun…"

"I told you not to look at me like that."

"…"

"…"

"Thank… you."

Ironic. The word that he had said when he had left her was now said in the same circumstances. Only the positions of who was leaving and who was being left were reversed.

She would leave him.

"If it wasn't for you, I would kill him."

She nodded.

"Be happy."

She nodded. Tears pricking her eyes. And then rolled down her cheeks. Swiftly followed by another. She closed her eyes.

"And if he hurt you, I'll kill him, and you'll come with me."

She nodded. She felt his lips brushed against her forehead affectionately, and then feeling the lips moved lower, kissing her nose, and then her lips, deliberately letting his lips lingered there longer than the other places. Finally, he kissed the tears away.

"Don't cry. I never liked seeing you cry. I don't do these to make you cry."

She nodded.

He left.

He gazed at the afternoon sky, and then closing his eyes, feeling the afternoon breeze blowing his body. Half-wishing that the wind can take him with her deceptively soft and alluring breath.

He didn't want to leave her. Didn't want her to fall in love with someone else but him. He had loved her from the start.

_If only… if only…_

It was his fault for rejecting her in the first place, anyway. He got what he had planted. He should have explained himself to her. To open himself more to her.

But now it's too late.

He had to go on with life. A life without her.

The prospect wretched him, but the life had to go on.

It would be hard to get over her. He didn't_ want _to get over her. Her heart wasn't his anymore. And the knowledge struck him painfully. More painful than he thought it would.

Someday.

Maybe someday, she would come back to him.

It was foolish, but a man could dream, couldn't he?

He lost one dream. But he could form another.

If his damn brother hurt as much as the tip of her hair, he swore an oath he would kill him in the cruellest way possible. He wouldn't have her hurt.

He gave her up to have her unhurt.

He would keep an eye on them. It was idiotic for him to do so, but he had to ensure his sacrifice came at a fair prize.

The prize named her happiness.

_I love you._

--------------------------------------------------

_I thought I had_

_Everything I needed_

_My life was set, my dreams were in place_

_My heart could see way into the future_

_All of that goes when I see your face_

--------------------------------------------------

_I should hate you_

_Here I am the world in my hand_

_Can one kiss—kiss away everything I planned?_

_I can't control everything I'm feeling_

_I'm floating in mid-air_

_If I'm a fool_

_Then I'm too much in love to care_

--------------------------------------------------

She tried to get up.

Her limbs failed her.

Seeing Sasuke had cleared up her feelings. She was sure she loved Itachi now.

With Sasuke, she had had butterflies nesting and reproducing in her stomach. But with Itachi, it wasn't butterflies. Butterflies were light and teasing. With Itachi, it was heavy, scalding hot, and merciless. It had been lava or magma or whatever that came from the explosion of volcano.

Yes, she was sure she loved Itachi. She even had engaged herself in a fight with Sasuke to prove how meaningful Itachi was to her.

But… at what cost?

She didn't immediately die. But her chakra was depleted. Too weak to heal even the smallest injury. Her muscles protested when she tried to move them. Her body produced too much lactic acid that even the smallest movement could hurt her.

It was dark already. And it had been hours since she parted ways with Itachi. He wasn't bothered to search for her, was he?

The man who once had told her that he loved her now leaving her to death.

Her medical brain worked. If she was to be left like this in approximately six more hours, she would die.

She laughed inwardly in the irony.

_What's the point of discovering if he would never know that I love him so?_

The pills to heal her were all in the hideout. And they weren't enough. Some of them were still in the making. If she had been able to walk to the hideout, she couldn't be saved. She needed a hand to survive.

Itachi's hand.

But Itachi wouldn't come back. That much she knew. She had threatened to kill him, putting her village first rather than him…

She lost him.

She tried to laugh softly, yet it came as a cough. A bloody cough. _As if he was ever mine to begin with…_

And when her lids couldn't support her eyes anymore, the last thing she saw was the fuzzy shadow of his figure.

_Heaven, _she thought dimly. _His face…_

The glimpse of his face—her heaven—was worth of the eternal damnation, she decided. Even though it was just a figment of her imagination. Her desperate mind.

And then, the merciful darkness engulfed her willing mind.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Disclaimer:

Sunset Boulevard is Andrew Lloyd Webber

Goodbye Love is from musical show 'Rent'

Cliffhanger once more!

Question: do you want this story to end 2-3 chapters ahead, or do you want more chapters. Because in my mind, if I get this story done in 2-3 chapters ahead, it looks like this story plot was rushed, and not good enough.

Well, please tell me what you're thinking.

P.S. Reviews make me update faster. The will of writing blazing high with reviews!

Conclusion: Review, everyone!

Thanks,  
£exy The Thief


	12. Recovery

Standard Disclaimer Applied

Finally! An update! So sorry, guys. But the university took most of my mind, and still the grades aren't that good. I didn't fail any subject, but the grades are not that extraordinary.

And when the holiday came, I'm busy with Christmas and New Year. After New Year, I bought about ten novels and refuse to let go of them until they're finished. And then… I played Sims 2 for hours and hours… In between? Because of my grades, I'm _studying _on holiday. Darn it.

Enough about the rant, enjoy.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 11: Recovery**

"_I told you I am bloody fine!"_

"_And I don't believe you. Just let me see the goddamn cut! It would hurt more if you let it infect you."_

"_Impossible, I can't get hurt."_

_The pink-haired girl halted, staring at his eyes._

_Then suddenly, she kicked his shin._

"_Ouch!"_

_She smirked, and then tore his cloak apart at his moment of weakness. "So, what did you say about cannot getting hurt?"_

--------------------------------------------------

Maybe it was then his heart had been stolen. When her lips had tugged upward forming a mischievous grin like a vengeful wood nymph.

Itachi went—stumbled back to the hideout, his mind churned with emotion. For once, his powerful Sharingan couldn't see clearly. He could only see one thing. Her face. Her brows, furrowed with hatred. Her eyes, her lovely eyes, which he had learnt to love so well, were misty with tears. Her lips, thinned and compressed tightly, expressing her sadness and betrayal, that he doubt even his skilful tongue could penetrate.

He didn't know that his heart placed so low in his stomach.

He would like nothing more than gather her in his arms, kissed her tears away, soothing the stern furrow of her brows, and then made love to her until her breath resounded with his name, and only his name.

Itachi was crying.

For the first time in many years, clear liquid generating from his orbs. Running freely down the planes of his cheeks.

Oh, how the mighty had fallen.

Sakura joined Akatsuki might be something she hadn't wanted. It had cost her leaving her beloved village and her faith in humanity.

But it had cost her nothing so dear like her heart.

She was kind and persistent. He had opened his heart just a crack and she had slipped in without much effort. Heck, she hadn't even _trying _to slip in, but she had managed to penetrate the brick walls he had built around himself with such ease it was sickening.

He had broken many hearts. Literally and figuratively. Maybe this was his payment for all his sins.

Karma sucks.

He was still wallowing in self-pity when he reached for the photo frame of her picture (which he had taken secretly and placed on the secret table in his room).

Just as he touched it, the glass cracked. Like his heart.

His breath constricted. His eyes widened at the bad omen.

Of course he had never believed such things. But if it was _her _life at the stake… What is the disadvantage, really? Even if she was well, that would not wound him mortally at that.

But if she wasn't… it would.

_Sakura… Sakura!_

He didn't understand why he did it. Why he dashed with his highest speed while locating where his partner was. Just as he didn't understand how he had fallen in love with her at the first place.

But in what he had learnt these days, love would cost your heart, your pride, your soul, and your entire being. It would not be satisfied until it had you in tatters.

His love had already cost him everything. So what was a little bit more humiliation and rejection? He already had lost his pride, his heart, even his mind. He had nothing to lose now.

Except her.

As he ran, he was thankful that for the hard wind burning his tears before they fell to the ground.

--------------------------------------------------

As he found her, he knew that nothing, _nothing _could make him forget the sight.

Her body, slumped unconscious on the ground, seemed so fragile and powerless. Trails of blood were trailing from her head to the plane curves of her cheek. Cuts upon cuts upon cuts adorning her fair skin—the skin he had always loved and secretly worshipped—and pretty flesh. Her form was so still it scared him. The utter contrast to the overactive girl he knew and grew to love.

She looked… broken.

She was always small and weak-looking to the eyes of novice. But there had always an air of strength and will and determination accompanying even her smallest move.

But now… it was gone.

Slowly, carefully, he scooped her up into his arms. Strange, that throughout her misery, he had her exactly where he wanted her to be for the rest of their life. His arms.

He raised his gaze to the sky, watching the darkness engulfing and defeating the light. Replacing the warmth of the sun with its merciless cool breeze.

Then, like a wounded animal, he roared to the treacherous sky.

It was the roar telling of how deep the betrayal of fate. Persephone dragged to Hades, never to see the light again. Eve cast out of Eden, bewailing the serpent's treachery.

To his eternal disgust, the roar dissolved into choking sobs. He was clutching her body as tight as he dared. Tears ran unabashedly from his eyes.

No. He should _not _cry. Not when she needed him the most. His tears won't heal her.

He clenched his eyes shut tightly, only opening them when he was sure the tears wouldn't fall anymore.

--------------------------------------------------

First, he got to restore her chakra level to the safer degree. Sakura had taught him how to transfer chakra.

He cradled her body, and then placing her on his lap. He crossed his hands over her chest—the first time without dirty mind—and transferred his chakra slowly to her body.

"_Imagine the flow of a river. Steady, slow stream. That's right."_

The chakra couldn't quite reach her eyes.

"_Don't panic, Itachi-san. Think of something beautiful. The river. Remember the river. Let the chakra flow. Good."_

It could reach her eyes, even though not completely. She might have a temporary blindness later. But now, her chakra condition went a bit better.

What was next?

He tried to remember the words that had came out of her bow-shaped lips. He had been too engrossed with her lips to hear her words.

No, no. Not the time, buddy. Focus.

"_If the patient was bleeding, clean his body first. Don't let his body had sharp objects or dirt imbedded in him."_

He stripped her of her clothes, and then bringing her to the bathroom. He took care of her—washing her, caressing her, and drying her with painstaking worry until she was absolutely clean.

"_When you're sure he's clean already, bandage his cuts. The bandage must be clean and sterile."_

He took her to her bedroom, and laying her still body on the bed. He rummaged into her medical box to find clean bandages.

"_Wrap them tightly. The blood mustn't flow out. It can cause worse case of blood loss."_

Step by step, he managed to memorize and redo the training his partner had given him. When he was finished, she was neatly tucked into her bed.

He stared at her, feeling her forehead. The fever was not as fierce anymore, and her breathing seemed easier. Even though her cheeks are still pale, betraying the shade of pink that used to flush her chubby cheeks.

The cheeks that he used to pull, just to play around with her. Joking that no matter how slim she is the baby fat in _these _would never melt.

And how her eyes narrowed in anger at that comment, further adorning her cheeks with ten shades of red.

Dared he hope that the flush would suffuse back into her body? That her chests would rise once more and breathing with ease? That she would turn her bright green eyes at him again, sparkling with mischief and vengeance?

He should do it. He mustn't lose hope no matter what.

He looked at her again. The colour began to form in her pale face.

He let out breath that he had been unconsciously held back until now.

Tomorrow would be better. Tomorrow…

While he thought of the possibilities, his eyes stung. He wiped them. Tears.

_It's just because I'm sleepy… _he thought. _It doesn't mean anything._

He yawned. _I would NOT fall asleep. I would just rest my eyes for a little bit._

He fell asleep.

--------------------------------------------------

He awoke with a start, sweat drenched his body. He then stared at the still form lying at a flower-patterned bed. A disappointed sigh left his lips without him aware of his own action.

He had before hoped that the former night was only a bad dream. That he hadn't seen his love dying.

He felt up her forehead, not too bad. But he couldn't be sure. He needed to be sure. He searched the room for a thermometer, and finally found one.

He gently shoved the device between her lips, and waited for a few seconds for the device to work.

38.23. Not too bad. He just needed to nourish her, and let her take her own medication afterward.

He didn't dare to feed her anything but chicken porridge—if you can call overcooked rice with water a bowl of porridge—and mineral water.

Damn, he sucked at cooking. But he remembered that Sakura had said the most important thing was keeping the patient's metabolism well. Mineral water would do pretty well if his cooking would prove poisonous.

He had never been a God-believer, but he prayed to God that his cooking was edible. He couldn't cook anything but burning meat in the fire for barbeque. He couldn't even make a _toast_.

And now that her life was in his pathetic hands seemed almost scary. Even for him, who had seen thousands of death.

She depended on him.

He blinked with that realization. She couldn't do anything to him. Couldn't resist him if he kissed her, or even further. Even if she would wake, she would be too weak then to dispute him of his desire.

_You can do it, _Lust whispered in his mind, _kiss her, fuck her, and tuck her in. She will never know. And even if she's conscious, she could never fight you._

_She loves you enough not to fight you. You know that. Even if her heart doesn't solely belong to you, you still own some portions of it._

As if on cue—or instinct that she was to be molested—she slowly blinked.

His heart came to a halt as those sleepy green eyes fell on him.

--------------------------------------------------

It took her quite a long time to make out the face in front of her. As the vision grew less blurry and had edges, she croaked, "Is this… heaven?"

_It must be Heaven, _she thinks. If it wasn't, how could it be _his _face that appeared before her eyes? After what she had said the last time, he wouldn't want to see her face again. Much less save her from the mercy of darkness.

"I'm sorry, Sakura. But you haven't escaped the life with me yet."

"Itachi…?" she blinked in disbelief.

"Unfortunately for you, yes."

"I… But… Why?"

He didn't answer. He moved briskly toward the hearth to shove the logs so the temperature was kept warm.

She closed her eyes, instinctively knew that he wouldn't answer her. On the other hand, her mind was also too fuddled to speculate her partner's motive.

"I would understand, you know," rasped Sakura hoarsely, "if you didn't come to save me."

His gaze strained at her, demanding elaboration. A signal Sakura knew only too well after living with him for months.

"I did say some things… Some unforgivable things… Even so… I'm sorry."

The hearth crackled, filling the spacious silence between her sentences.

"What I said… was unforgivable. But you also did something stupid too. God knows how tainted my name is now in the Konohagakure.

"You… broke your promise." Her words are ended with a cough. Her shoulders shook, shifting her floral-patterned cover. Now that she realized that she didn't wear a stitch.

The pink-haired Akatsuki then checked her body quickly, running a slight chakra all over her body. "You… did well. The first aid treatment… was almost perfect."

She felt her chakra didn't quite reach her eyes. Her vision was still blurry even though she was awake for quite a long time.

As if sensing her discomfiture, he informed her with no-nonsense tone. "Your vision wouldn't be as clear as it used to be. Whoever attacked you, he managed to get your optic nerves in disarray.

"I… didn't remember… Sasuke-kun did anything like that. Must be the… sharingan… then."

"Sasuke…?" His tone changed, tinged with dark anger and murderous intent.

She stiffened, realizing her mistake.

"Doesn't… matter. I would be able… to heal them completely with enough rest." Desperately trying to change the subject, she steered the conversation to her current state of health. _Not that he would care, _she thought bitterly.

"Sasuke… did this?" Itachi demanded, grabbing her chin and force the unfocused emerald orbs to meet her fiery red ones.

When she didn't answer, he put his doujutsu into action, searching her memories, seeing the battle, the reasons, and to her eternal mortification, her tender declaration of love.

He went through the scene with disbelief, every word they had exchanged, every thought they had shared… etched to his mind and wouldn't let go.

"_You have to kill me first to get to him."_

"_Have you told him that you love him?"_

"_Nothing you do or say would change my mind."_

"_I love him."_

"_I love Uchiha Itachi."_

"I'm sorry," he said as he pulled back for her mind, his fingers wet from her tears of mortification. She squeezed her eyes even harder as he said those two words, immediately assuming the worst. That he didn't love her anymore, that he couldn't forgive what she had said, that she had made him hate her through her actions, her decision…

She didn't see her raising his hand to see her tears and worshipped them with his gaze as if they were the most precious jewels. She didn't see his tongue tenderly licked them one by one with such ardour that it was almost scary. But she did feel his arms gathering her still weak body into his embrace.

"…for what I have done to Konoha… and for what I will do to you," said the dark ninja, making her eyelids opened as her reaction. But before she could ask what he meant by those words, her lips are covered by his hungry one.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Another cliffhanger!

Even though I can't promise to update fast, but I can certainly promise your reviews would speed the update up. So… all praises and critics are welcomed.

And… for the ones who want to flame, either you put an ID or email, or you point out exactly where my fic is, and I quote, 'i should send a virus to you, ths story has TONS of spelling errors & sentences that make NO SENSE AT ALL!'

All right. If you want to flame me about spelling errors, check your own spelling errors.

And I want to ask, do you other guys feel the same way, if you do, I'll find a beta. My betas are pretty hard to contact this time, and I took such a long time to update, so I didn't bother, but if my sentences don't make sense, I'll go get them.

No to be arrogant, but I don't think I have spelling errors. I re-check with spellchecker _and _dictionary. If I did make that mistake, please point out _where _I made that mistake.

I don't mind flames or critics, but I do mind if I'm falsely accused. I certainly would like it if the review has elaboration, though. (I like this part "…"… but this part is lacking… because…)

But I think only an English major student would do that. My friend in English major does that (for assignment) all the time, and I really feel bad for her.

Thanks,  
£exy The Thief


End file.
